India Approves Rs 10,000 Crore Pinaka Rocket Procurement

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has approved a procurement plan worth over Rs 10,000 crore for the Indian Army's Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system. The acquisition includes Area Denial Munitions and Pinaka Enhanced Range rockets, according to defense sources.

The manufacturing contract will be divided between Solar Industries, based in Nagpur, and Munitions India Limited (MIL), a former unit of the Ordnance Factory Board.

Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi had previously stated that the contract would include Rs 5,700 crore for high-explosive ammunition and Rs 4,500 crore for area denial munitions. The approval follows his remarks at an annual press conference on January 13.

The Pinaka rockets cleared in this deal have an operational range of approximately 45 kilometers. Meanwhile, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on an extended-range version with a 120-kilometer strike capability, with the first test expected in the next financial year.

The Pinaka system has been exported, with Armenia among its buyers, and several European nations, including France, expressing interest in the platform.

This procurement is part of ongoing efforts to enhance indigenous defense capabilities.