With 7th regiment, Army expands Pinaka fleet

NEW DELHI: With increased security threat along the western and northern frontiers, especially after last year's conflict with Pakistan, the Indian Army has added another Pinaka regiment and is preparing to induct one more by the end of the year, it is learnt. With the operationalisation of one more regiment, the Indian Army now has seven Pinaka rocket launcher regiments deployed along its borders with Pakistan and China. "The eighth regiment has received more than half its equipment. It should become operational before the end of 2026," a source said. Two more regiments are likely to be operationalised next year, which will take the total number of Pinaka regiments in deployment to 10. The Army has a long-term goal of 22 regiments, equipping them with newer, longer-range guided versions. In Aug 2020, the Army signed contracts with Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML), Tata Power Company (strategic engineering division business of Tata Power has now merged into Tata Advanced SYstems) and Larsen & Toubrofor supply of six Pinaka regiments at an approximate cost of Rs 2,580 crore. Developed by DRDO, Pinaka is India's premier indigenous multi-barrel rocket launcher. While early versions had a range of 40 km, newer variants such as Guided Pinaka and Long-Range Guided Rocket have extended ranges of up to 120 km, making the system a critical asset for deep-strike operations.