Pinaka () is a multiple launch rocket system produced in India and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Army. The multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) has a maximum range of for Mark-I Enhanced and for Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR) version, and can fire a salvo of 12 HE rockets per launcher in 44 seconds. The system is mounted on a Tatra truck frame. Pinaka saw service during the Kargil War, where it was successful in neutralising Pakistani positions on the mountain tops. It has since been inducted into the Indian Army in large numbers.

In April 2013, was sanctioned for increasing the production capacity of Pinaka rockets from then 1,000 to 5,000 per year. Unutilised land of the Yantra India Limited was also being considered for further capacity expansion when production of advanced variants would commence. The expansion was completed by 2014.

Development In 1981, in response to the Indian Army's need for a long range artillery system, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) sanctioned two confidence building projects. In July 1983, the Army formulated their General Staff Qualitative Requirement (GSQR) for the system. The Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) was appointed the System Coordinator for the project. The project included seven other laboratories of the DRDO, such as the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) and Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE).

The DRDO was to fabricate seven launcher vehicles, of which six were to be supplied to the Army for user trials, three replenishment-cum-loader vehicles including two for the Army’s user trials, one command post vehicle. Induction was planned at the rate of one Regiment per year from 1994 onwards. This system would eventually replace the BM-21 Grad and BM-30 Smerch of the Indian Army.

Ammunition

Mark 1 Development began in December 1986, with a sanctioned budget of . The development was to be completed in December 1992. As per a report the prototype was rolled out by 1992. The user trials of the system by the Army began by February 1999 after the developmental trials. The user trials ended in December 1999. The first order for full-rate production was placed with Ordnance Factory in 2007.

The Pinaka is in the process of further improvement. Israel Military Industries cooperated with DRDO to implement its Trajectory Correction System (TCS) on the Pinaka, for further improvement of its CEP. Said programme is indicated to have greatly increased the CEP of the Pinaka The rockets can also be guided by GPS to improve their accuracy. A wraparound microstrip antenna has been developed by DRDO for this system.

Sagem completed delivery of its Sigma 30 laser-gyro artillery navigation and pointing system for two Pinaka MBRL systems in June 2010. The Sigma 30 artillery navigation and pointing system is designed for high-precision firing at short notice. The systems would be integrated by Tata Power SED and Larsen & Toubro. The system was ordered in February 2008.

To decrease single source dependency from Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and increase competition in product pricing front, final developmental trials of Pinaka manufactured fully by Indian private sector Solar Industries under Transfer of Technology agreement from DRDO were successfully conducted by Indian Army at Pokhran Range on 19 August 2020.

By December 2021, the trials of rockets developed by Economic Explosives Ltd. (subsidiary of Solar Industries Group) and Yantra India Limited–Munitions India Limited (YIL–MIL) were underway for two variants, Mk-I Enhanced and Mk-I ADM. The order for these variants were to be placed with one or two of the competitors in order to replace the shorter ranged Mk-I variant rockets.

The Area Denial Munition (ADM) Type-1's warhead comprises a DPICM sub-munitions offering anti-access/area denial capabilities to the force against mechanised forces, vehicles and personnel. The orders for ADM Type 1 was placed on 6 February 2025.

Enhanced The Pinaka Enhanced variant, also known as Enhanced Pinaka Rocket System, was developed as an increased range of with a reduced length. The rocket is associated with the upgraded Enhanced Pinaka Rocket System, or Pinaka Extended Range System. The production partner of the rocket is Economic Explosives Ltd. (subsidiary of Solar Industries Group) which received the technology transfer. The first firing trial of the variant was conducted on 4 November 2020 from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur. This will also replace the older Mark 1 variant in production. Further tests were undertaken on 24 June 2021.

The orders for High Explosive, Preformed Fragmentation Mk-1 (Enhanced) rockets was placed with the Munitions India Limited on 6 February 2025. The HEPF Mk-1 (E) is an advanced variant of the in-service HEPF.

The Solar Defence & Aerospace Limited (SDAL) has also secured contracts for the munition. Its rockets completed the proof firing on 18 March 2026 while the first batch was delivered on 19 March. The proof tests for the MIL's batch is also scheduled in the same month.

Guided Pinaka

The Guided Pinaka rockets is a variant of Mark II and is associated with the Guided Pinaka Weapon System. It is equipped with a navigation, guidance, control kit and has considerably enhanced the range and accuracy of the missile. The rocket has an enhanced range of with an accuracy of at all ranges. The rockets are equipped with Inertial Navigation System (INS) and Global Positioning System (GPS).

As of September 2022, Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has cleared the procurement proposal of induction of Guided Pinaka variant. The flight frials of Guided Pinaka as part of validation trials were completed in November 2024.

The first batch of Guided Pinaka rockets were flagged off by the Indian Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, for export to the Armenian Ground Forces from the Rocket Assembly area, Pinaka Rocket manufacturing facility, Nagpur facility of Solar Defence & Aerospace Limited (SDAL) on 18 January 2026. The Medium Caliber Ammunition Manufacturing Facility was also inaugurated the same day. The fully-automated facility will supply 30 mm ammunition for the Indian Army and Navy. The tender to acquire the variant for the Indian Army was being finalised.

Further development

Mark 2

Pinaka Mk II was being developed by Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune; Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad; and Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad. This is the second generation variant of Pinaka MBRL.

Pinaka Mark 2 was pursued as part of an incremental development approach to extend the range of Pinaka Mark 1, while the Guided Pinaka emerged as a parallel derivative focused on improving accuracy and precision through the addition of a guidance section.

The Pinaka Mark 2 rockets manufactured by Solar Industries completed the User Assisted Technical Trial (UATT) on 8 December 2021 and would then go for user trial which was expected for completion by March 2022. Meanwhile, Yantra India Limited–Munitions India Limited (YIL–MIL) was yet to complete development of the Mark 2 prototype due to delay in transfer of technology from ARDE.

LRGR 120

In 2005, ARDE revealed about the development of a long range MRL similar to the Smerch MRLS. A 7.2 metre rocket for the Pinaka MBRL, which can reach a distance of 120 km and carry a 250 kg payload would be developed. These new rockets could be fired in 44 seconds, have a maximum speed of Mach 4.7, rise to an altitude of 40 km before hitting its target at Mach 1.8. Integrating UAVs with the Pinaka is also in the pipeline, as DRDO intends to install guidance systems on these rockets to increase their accuracy.

On 17 January 2024, reports revealed that DRDO is developing two new variants of Pinaka rockets, one with a range of 120 km and the other with a range of over 200 km. The approval for the development of the system was granted by the Indian Army to DRDO's ARDE along with a 300 km-range rocket variant by 24 January. The Preliminary Services Qualitative Requirements of the variant was being formulated which specified the essential and desirable parameters of a weapon systems. The desirable parameters would be incorporated at a later stage of development.

As of February 2025, the developmental trials for 120 km-range rockets are expected to commence within few months. The development process began in 2024, and the first test is scheduled for October 2025. In August, static trials of propulsion systems were conducted and configuration design was completed. Economic Explosives Limited has developed the LRGR 120 rocket system's pre-production units.

The rockets has a length of with a calibre. The rocket weight is while a carrying a warhead of . Each launcher can carry 2 pods of LRGR rockets with 4 munitions each. The CEP is expected to be under 30 m for all ranges. The rocket would be compatible with four kinds of warheads — high-explosive pre-fragmented (HEPF), penetration-cum-blast (PCB), thermobaric (TB) and cluster.

As per reports published in December 2025, the Indian Army has initiated a project to induct 120 km range Pinaka rockets at a cost of . The service had sent a proposal to the defence ministry to be considered by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC). The rockets would be compatible with in-service Pinaka launchers. The project, referred to as Long Range Guided Rockets, was cleared by the DAC on 29 December.

The rocket has undergone two trials in November 2025 and July 2026 which demonstrated the rocket's ability to strike targets at both maximum and minimum user defined ranges of 120 km and 60 km, respectively.

ELRGR The development of a rocket variant of the Pinaka system with a range of over 200 km was first revealed in January 2024. The exact range was later identified as 300 km. The approval for the development of the system was granted by the Indian Army to DRDO's ARDE along with the 120 km-range rocket variant by 24 January. The developmental status was not reported by then.

In late August 2026, the Research Centre Imarat floated a tender to acquire 5 sets of rocket systems for 370 mm Extended Long Range Guided Rocket (ELRGR). The tender demands advanced manufacturing procedure including flow forming of rocket motor cases, machining, welding of 11-10 precipitation hardening (PH) stainless steel as well as proof pressure testing. The delivery timeline would be six months.

As per a February 2026 report, DRDO was also exploring a 450 kilometer range version of the Pinaka MBRL.

Ejectable Rocket Ignition System

For the LRGR 120, ARDE is developing a modular ignition system to increase range, fuel efficiency, and reduce rocket reloading time. In order to lessen the rocket's weight while in flight, it is made to detach from the rocket after launch.

Ramjet propulsion

A group of researchers led by Lieutenant General P.R. Shankar, a professor in the aerospace department at IIT Madras and the former Director General of Artillery for the Indian Army Combat and Combat Support Arms, are developing ramjet propulsion technology that will be incorporated into the Pinaka rockets. It is anticipated that the range of 210–214 mm rocket will increase at 225–250 km with the addition of ramjet propulsion, all the while preserving the operational flexibility of the system.

The development is expected to begin soon as of January 2026. The system will enhance the BM-21 Agnibaan's range from to and LRGR-120's range to . The development for BM-21 rockets is expected to span between March 2026 and 2028-end The design will then be transferred to a company for production. This will be followed by development for the Pinaka variant.

Air Force and Navy variants