Chandipur: India marked a significant milestone in its indigenous rocket programme as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Monday carried out the first successful flight trial of the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha.
The system was tested at its full operational reach of 120 kilometres, during which it executed all planned mid-air manoeuvres. According to the Ministry of Defence, the rocket struck its designated target with high accuracy, while tracking systems monitored the mission seamlessly from launch to impact.
The long-range guided variant has been developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment, working in coordination with the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, and the Research Centre Imarat, according to an official statement.
A key highlight of the trial was the rocket’s launch from an existing Pinaka launcher, underscoring the platform’s flexibility to fire different Pinaka configurations across varying ranges without modification.
In a post on X, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the DRDO teams for the achievement, stating that the successful development of long-range guided rockets would significantly strengthen the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces and serve as a major force multiplier.
