Bengaluru: France is in extensive talks with India to buy a multi-barrel rocket launcher system, top sources said. Indications coming out of defense sources are that France is considering buying India’s indigenously developed Pinaka rocket system, which has already proven its strength.
France is India’s defense partner. India buys weapons from France, including fighter jets and submarines. However, France has no history of buying weapons from India. There are indications that that history is also changing.
The strength of the Indian defense industry is being demonstrated. The indigenously manufactured Pinaka rocket system, which has a range of up to 90 kilometers (56 miles), was demonstrated to a French delegation in India three months ago and was found satisfactory, said a second official, who did not wish to be named.
“France is in active discussions for Pinaka,” Ummelaneni Raja Babu, director general of missiles and tactical systems at India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation, said at the Aero India aerospace show in the southern city of Bengaluru.
The Pinaka issue is likely to be discussed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France. However, the Ministry of External Affairs has not yet responded to this. Recently, Armenia had purchased four Pinaka rocket systems from India. It was a deal worth Rs 2,000 crore. Countries like Indonesia and Nigeria had also expressed interest in Pinaka.
Pinaka is a weapon developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The special feature of Pinaka is that it can launch 12 rockets in 44 seconds. DRDO is developing a variant with a range of 120 km. The existing variants are Mark-1 and Mark-2. With the introduction of the longer-range Pinaka rocket, the army is planning to do away with the previous ranges.
The Pinaka system is completely controlled by a fire control computer. It can also operate autonomously in emergency situations. Apart from this, it can also be used in stand-alone mode, remote mode, manual mode, etc. As of November 2024, the Indian Army has four Pinaka regiments. Six more have been ordered. Each Pinaka regiment has 18 launchers. Each of these can launch 12 rockets with a range of 40 km in 44 seconds. In addition to these, a regiment also has support vehicles, a radar, and a command post.
