Export of Guided Pinaka Rockets Flagged off by Defense Minister
The shipment of the initial batch of Guided Pinaka Rockets to Armenia was officially launched by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh at the production site of Solar Defense and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) in Nagpur.
Armenia previously entered into a contract valued at Rs.2,000 crore for four Pinaka batteries, encompassing the export of guided rockets for the multi-barrel systems, and various other defense equipment.
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The distribution of the gun launcher systems commenced in July 2023 and was finalized by November 2024. Informants indicated that the guided rockets would be dispatched to Armenia by SDAL as soon as they became available.
Defence Secretary RK Singh and other senior officials from SDAL attended the launching ceremony.The forthcoming days will witness the incorporation of guided Pinaka rockets into the Indian Army.
Rajnath Singh inaugurated the advanced medium calibre ammunition manufacturing facility of Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) in Nagpur. This initiative is part of the government's efforts to reduce reliance on imported products by involving the private sector. According to a report by BusinessLine on December 25 last year, India has already achieved approximately 91 percent indigenization in the production of ammunition.
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Speaking at the inauguration, the Defence Minister says, “We witnessed the brilliance of your ingenuity in Operation Sindoor. The Nagastra drone developed by Solar Group was successfully deployed. This drone struck precisely at those who harbored ill intentions towards our country”.
“I have been told that an advanced version of it has also been developed. One never knows when it might be needed, given that our neighbour is so unpredictable”, he adds.
Advanced variants—Nagastra-2 and Nagastra-3—are in the final stages of development.
Rajnath Singh commended the Nagastra-1 loitering munition, produced by Solar Group, highlighting its significant contribution to Operation Sindoor during the event, as reported by the company. According to the company, Singh emphasized the continuous progress of Solar Group in developing the Bhargavastra anti-drone system, a micro-missile-based hard-kill solution that has already undergone successful test launches.
Medium-caliber projectiles ranging from 23mm to 40mm are essential components in the field of infantry warfare, armored vehicle operations, naval artillery installations, and aircraft-mounted armaments. At present, a sizable portion of these essential munitions are brought in from abroad, leaving India vulnerable to potential issues stemming from restrictions on exports, geopolitical instabilities, and interruptions in supply chains. In response to this vulnerability, Solar Group has developed a cutting-edge manufacturing facility that is fully automated to produce ammunition sizes of 23mm, 30mm, and 40mm, all made domestically.
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The company has announced the establishment of a comprehensive in-house firing test range for the dynamic assessment of 30mm ammunition and 40mm grenades. Additionally, a separate range for 23mm ammunition is scheduled to be operational within the next three months.