India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is progressing on the development of an extended-range variant of the Guided Pinaka rocket system, set to exceed a range of 120 km. Fabrication is expected to begin by mid-2025, with the first test anticipated in October 2025. This accelerated timeline responds to the Indian Army’s request to fast-track the program, aiming to boost its precision-guided rocket artillery capabilities.The current Guided Pinaka system, with a range of 75-90 km, has already demonstrated its effectiveness and reliability for long-range artillery support. Developed by DRDO to improve upon the unguided Pinaka rockets (which had a 40 km range), the guided version incorporates an inertial navigation system (INS) and GPS for greater accuracy and precision, enabling the Army to strike targets with minimal collateral damage.
