Guided rocket Pinaka successfully test fired from Odisha's Chandipur

Achieving another milestone, Indian space scientists have been successful in test firing Pinaka rocket on Tuesday. Basically a guided rocket, Pinaka has been successfully tested fired from Integrated Test Range launch pad's complex-III situated at Chandipur, Odisha. 

For the second time, a test was conducted at 12:45 PM and then the 'Pinaka rocket mark-II was transformed into a 'guided rocket', which equipped guidance and control kit, and navigation system.

On this regard, ITR Director BK Das said, "The conversion facilitated range enhancement and improvement in Pinaka's accuracy. The mission met all its objectives." 

"All the radars, electro-optical and telemetry systems at the ITR were monitored that guided Pinaka throughout its flight path," Das added. 
An official statement said that  Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Subrata Saha, Director General Artillery Lt Gen P K Srivastava and other senior officers of the army witnessed the launch.

ARDE Director K M Rajan, RCI Director BHVS Narayana Murthy, ITR Director B K Das, Director of High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (Pune) K P S Murthy and Director of Proof and Experimental Establishment at Chandipur R Appavuraj monitored the launch operations.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar also congratulated both Army and DRDO for developing the guided Pinaka in a very short span of time.

Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister G Satheesh Reddy, who was present during the launch operations, said the success of guided Pinaka has shown the capability of the county in converting unguided systems into precision weapons. While DRDO Chairman S Christopher said that it is an example of synergy between armed forces and DRDO.

The guided version of Pinaka has been developed jointly by Armament Research and Development Establishment, Pune, and Hyderabad-based Research Centre Imarat and Defence Research and Development Laboratory. Chandipur ITR provided the range and launch support.

Its first successful test flight was conducted at the same venue on January 12.