The Indian Army plans to procure over $1 billion worth of Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) ammunition within a month.
Procurement orders will be placed before the current fiscal year ends on March 31, Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi said earlier this week.
Two categories of orders will be placed: high-explosive pre-fragmented ammunition for 57 billion Indian rupees (around $660 million) and area denial ammunition for 45 billion Indian rupees (around $520 million).
Area Denial Munition
The pre-fragmented ammunition has a range of 45 kilometers (28 miles), while the area denial version can strike targets from 37 kilometers (23 miles).
The latter consists of multiple bomblets, including anti-tank and anti-personnel minelets, and is used to saturate a large concentration of targets.
The order will cater to 10 Pinaka regiments of the Indian Army, according to The Times of India.
Four of those are operational, while the rest are being inducted.
Pinaka MBRL
Developed by the country’s Defence Research and Development Organisation, the MBRL has been in service since 2000.
The Pinaka Mk-I has a range of 40 kilometers (25 miles), while an enhanced version, called Enhanced Rocket System or EPRS, can strike at distances of around 90 kilometers (56 miles).
A pair of higher range versions, with ranges of 120 kilometers (74 miles) and 300 kilometers (186 miles), were also approved for development last year.
Meanwhile, a guided Pinaka version completed flight testing in November.
