After Armenia, France To Evaluate India's Pinaka Rocket System Amid Rising Defence Exports

After Armenia, France can become next customer of India’s Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launch (MBRL) as the French Army is set to carry out a detailed evaluation of the system soon, The Hindu reported.

Pinaka was reportedly presented before France's Army Staff Chief in February last year. Now, the European country is analysing three to four best providers of this system including India.

Brigadier General Stephane Richou, French Army staff general international affairs revealed that a special mission will arrive in India in the coming weeks, to evaluate both the launcher and the ammunition.

During his visit to India in the last week for the 20th Army staff talks, he invited Indian Army Chief Upendra Dwivedi to France next year on behalf of French Army Chief Pierre Schill.

"We have lot of avenues of cooperation. Open the eyes and the arms... and we can cooperate as strong as the cooperation that exists between Air Force and Navy," Richou was quoted as saying.

France has announced its decision to replace the M270 Lance-Roquettes Unitaire (LRU) rocket systems currently in service. The French Army operates 13 upgraded M270 systems, six of which were transferred to Ukraine following the onset of the Ukraine conflict.

The US, France, and Armenia have emerged as the leading customers for India's defense exports. Armenia notably became the first country to procure India's domestically developed Pinaka system, a move followed by interest from several other nations.

Currently, the Indian Army operates four Pinaka regiments, with six more on order. The Pinaka Mk1, capable of a 38 km range, can deploy a variety of ammunition types, and work is underway to extend its range.

Trials for guided, extended-range Pinaka rockets are nearing completion, aiming to push the range to over 75 km, with future plans to extend it to 120 km and eventually 300 km.

While cooperation between ground forces has been less visible compared to collaboration among air and naval forces, the visiting official emphasised that the focus is on partnership rather than visibility.