DRDO rushes to build 200km rockets with China in mind

New Delhi: India is going ahead with the development of long-range rockets for the indigenous Pinaka systems, which will have the ability to hit targets at a distance of over 200 km, enhancing their reach and lethality.

The extended range, guided rockets are being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and are likely to heavily involve the private sector as a production partner.

The new rockets, which will have a range of around 120-200 km, will counter the development of long-range multi-barrel rocket systems that are being jointly made by China and Pakistan.


Pakistan recently tested its Fatah II system that has been developed with the Chinese help, and has been claimed to have a range of 400 km.

The Indian rockets are being designed to operate from existing Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launchers (MBRL), which will give the armed forces considerable flexibility for deployment. The indigenously developed Pinaka can currently fire rockets to a range of 37 km and enhanced-range rockets have been tested to 45 km and are being inducted by the army.

The new rockets are likely to be guided that will give them pinpoint accuracy. The indigenous Pinaka system is already in service with the Indian Army and has been progressively replacing imports from Russia. The army is also looking at procuring more regiments of the indigenous Pinaka MBRLs. It has also bagged orders from Armenia.

India has recently cleared orders for almost 6,500 Area Denial Munitions (ADM) developed by the DRDO, at a cost of over ₹2,500 crore. The ADM munitions are essentially rockets that can drop bomblets over an extended area which can take down incoming armoured formations. These munitions can deny access routes and even target enemy positions across the border, given their extended range.