DRDO successfully flight-tests Pinaka Missile System off Odisha coast

News:Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) has successfully tested Pinaka Missile System from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the Odisha coast.

Facts:

About Pinaka Missile System:

• Pinaka is an artillery missile system capable of striking into an enemy territory up to a range of 75 km with high precision.
• The Pinaka Mk-II rocket is modified as a missile by integrating with the navigation, control and guidance system to improve the accuracy and enhance the range.
• The missile system has been jointly developed by various Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories.
• The navigation system of the missile is also aided by the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) also called as NAVIC.

Additional information:

About Pinaka:

• Pinaka rocket systems was named after Pinaka,the bow of Lord Shiva. Pinaka was used for the first time in Kargil war.
• The manufacturing of Pinaka missiles began with the help of Russian technology transfer.The plan was formulated in 1983 and manufacturing began in 1994.
• Pinaka Mark I was first launched.It is an indigenous multi-barrel unguided rocket launch system for firing of multiple warheads.It was used in the 1999 Kargil conflict.It has a range of 40 km.
• Pinaka Mark I was later transformed into a short-range precision guided missile and thus renamed as Guided Pinaka – Mark II.