DRDO successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR) on December 29, 2025, at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur.
The rocket was tested for its maximum range of 120 km and its in-flight maneuvering capability.
The PIB press release covering the launch states that “the LRGR impacted the target with textbook precision.”
Also on December 29, 2025, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the procurement of LRGR for the Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket System (MRLS). According to the PIB press release, the LRGR “will enhance the range and accuracy of Pinaka MRLS for effective engagement of high-value targets.”
In January 2025, the Indian Army had given DRDO an unofficial go-ahead to develop the 120 km range LRGR for the Pinaka MRLS, as well as a 300 km range rocket. (With 300 km range rockets, Pinaka would transition from classical rocket artillery to a quasi-tactical strike system.)
The Chief of the Army Staff (CAS), General Upendra Dwivedi, during his annual press briefing, confirmed that the DRDO, which had developed Pinaka unguided rockets with an extended 45 km range and Pinaka guided rockets with a 75 km range, has now been tasked with further extending MRLS rocket range, first to 120 km and then to 300 km.
He indicated that the Army would drop plans for other longer-range weapons if the DRDO was able to deliver longer-range Pinaka rockets.
General Dwivedi said, “As soon as we get longer ranges, we might drop plans for other alternate long-range weapons we are looking at and concentrate on it (Pinaka 3).”
The IA has also expressed interest in acquiring long-range kamikaze drones. It is likely that General Dwivedi was referring to them when he alluded to dropping other alternate long-range weapons.
The Indian Army is aggressively moving to upgrade the Pinaka MRLS with long-range guided rockets, likely driven by the effectiveness of long-range fires from MLRS systems such as Russia’s Tornado-S and the US HIMARS during the Ukraine war. It is heartening to see the DRDO responding proactively and moving aggressively to meet the Indian Army’s evolving requirements.
Current Pinaka System
The most advanced Pinaka MRLS variant currently operated by the Indian Army—the Pinaka Mk.2 Guided Pinaka Rocket System—can engage targets from 20 km to 80 km range with an accuracy of 30 m.
The Pinaka Mk.2 is a 214 mm calibre system. It can launch unguided rockets with a maximum range of either 40 km or 60 km, as well as Guided Pinaka rockets with a maximum range of 80 km.
Guided Pinaka rockets, also known as Enhanced Pinaka rockets, feature a 250 kg warhead, canard-based aerodynamic control, and guidance using a combination of Inertial Navigation System (INS) and Satellite Navigation (SATNAV).
The rocket’s SATNAV has been integrated with the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)—the Indian version of the US Global Positioning System (GPS).
With the help of trajectory lofting and aerodynamic glide provided by the canards, the Guided Pinaka rocket can achieve a range of 80 km.
The Pinaka system capable of launching the LRGR is referred to as Pinaka Mk.3.
Pinaka Accuracy
DRDO claims that during trials, Guided Pinaka rockets have demonstrated an accuracy of as much as 10 m.
The claimed accuracy and range of the Guided Pinaka place it in the league of the US Army’s M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (M270 MLRS).
The LRGR Pinaka rockets conform to the 214 mm calibre. The proposed 300 km range Pinaka rockets are expected to use a 300 mm calibre format to accommodate a larger propellant mass.
Additional IA Procurements
Besides LRGR, the DAC additionally accorded AoN for the procurement of Loiter Munition Systems for Artillery Regiments, Low Level Light Weight Radars, and the Integrated Drone Detection & Interdiction System Mk-II for the Indian Army.
Low Level Light Weight Radar (LLLWR)
Low Level Light Weight Radars (LLLWRs) are used in mountainous areas to plug gaps in defence against adversary aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, and cruise missiles. The radar can detect a small fighter target at a range of around 50 km.
The MoD initially procured 19 Elta 2160 radars from Israel under the LLLWR requirement. A variant of the Elta 2160 is used with the SpyDer SAM system inducted into the IAF.
LLLWR 3D Aslesha is a DRDO-developed replacement for the Elta 2160.
Integrated Drone Defence System
The Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System (IDDIS) Mk-II is a mobile, rapid-deployment system intended for the defence of vital points (VPs) such as ammunition depots.
The system was developed by DRDO’s Centre for High Energy Systems & Sciences (CHESS), in collaboration with the Armed Forces.
It comprises a sensor suite (radar, EO/IR, and passive RF detection) to detect and track drones, and directed energy weapons (DEWs) and RF jammers to neutralize them. The DEW reportedly has a range of 2 km.
The radar used in the sensor suite is an adaptation of the Dutch Flycatcher I/J/K-band fire-control radar used with CIWS and locally manufactured by BEL.
The DEW, developed by the Laser Science and Technology Centre (LASTEC), uses a gas-dynamic high-power laser developed under LASTEC’s Aditya project.
Conclusion
It is good to see the IA wholeheartedly embracing technology that the DRDO has been developing over the years.
Long-range rockets with a 120 km range, such as the US M270 MLRS and Russian Tornado-S, have proven to be very effective for interdiction and area denial. MLRS systems with 300 km range rockets, capable of striking airbases, industrial plants, and infrastructure deeper in the interior, possess strategic capabilities.
However, there are challenges associated with developing long-range MLRS systems that the DRDO would need to adequately address during development. These include:
1. Target detection and geolocation
2. Accurate and EW-resilient guidance
3. Evasion of counter-battery fire
Target detection and location require persistent surveillance using drones and satellites. India’s Ministry of Defence would need to acquire these in larger numbers than are currently available.
Adversary EW systems can compromise the accuracy of both SATNAV and INS. The INS on the rockets needs to be hardened against EW, and SATNAV needs to be made more resilient through the use of multiple antennas.
Finally, to evade counter-battery fire, MLRS systems need to be highly agile and capable of changing location very quickly after launching rockets. The IA would need high-mobility vehicles similar to those used with the US ATACMS system.
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