DRDO successfully flight-tests 60km Pinaka LRGR ; Rajnath Singh hails indigenous milestone
DRDO successfully flight-tests 60km Pinaka LRGR. (Image courtesy: X/@DRDO_India)
New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Wednesday successfully flight-tested the Pinaka long range guided rocket (LRGR) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha, marking another milestone in the development of India’s indigenous precision-strike rocket system. The trial evaluated the weapon’s performance at a user-defined minimum range of 60 kilometres.
The rocket during the test followed the planned flight profile and hit the designated target successfully. Range instrumentation deployed at the test range tracked the rocket throughout its trajectory and confirmed its performance during the mission.
The latest test comes after the maiden flight test of Pinaka long range guided rocket (LRGR-120) in December 2025 when DRDO successfully validated the rocket at its maximum range of 120 kilometres. While the previous test demonstrated the long-range strike capability of the weapon, the latest trial evaluated its performance at the lower end of its operational envelope establishing its ability to accurately engage targets across varying ranges.
The Pinaka LRGR has been developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in collaboration with the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), with support from the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and the Research Centre Imarat (RCI). The flight trial was coordinated by the integrated test range and the Proof & Experimental Establishment (PXE).
The rocket was launched from the Indian Army’s in-service Pinaka launcher, demonstrating that different variants of the Pinaka rocket family can be fired from the same launcher platform without modification. The Pinaka programme has evolved from the original multi-barrel rocket launcher into a family of enhanced, extended-range and guided rockets, expanding the Army’s indigenous artillery capabilities.
The defence minister, Rajnath Singh, congratulated DRDO, the Army and industry partners on the successful flight test, describing it as an important achievement for India’s indigenous long-range guided rocket programme. The defence secretary and secretary of department of defence (R&D), Rajesh Kumar Singh, who also serves as DRDO chairman, monitored the trials and congratulated the teams associated with the successful mission.
