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10 Jul 2026SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY3 questions

Pinaka Reaches 120 km: India's Artillery Rocket Grows a Brain and a Longer Arm

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Article summary

India's indigenous Pinaka artillery rocket system has taken a major step forward with the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR), which extends the system's reach to about 120 km while adding precision guidance. DRDO conducted the maiden flight test of the 120 km-range rocket at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, in December 2025 — with the Defence Acquisition Council clearing the rocket for induction into the Army on the same day — and followed it with a successful minimum-range user trial (around 60 km) in July 2026. The rocket is designed by DRDO's Armament Research and Development Establishment with the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory and other labs, and is backward-compatible with the existing Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher platforms. The upgrade turns Pinaka from an unguided area-saturation weapon into a longer-range, precision-guided one suited to varied terrain. For UPSC, it is a compact case study in defence indigenisation and the shift toward precision-guided munitions under Atmanirbhar Bharat.

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recallTests whether you read the article and retained key facts.
1Q
applicationTests whether you can apply the concept to a new scenario.
1Q
analysisTests whether you can reason across multiple related facts.
1Q

Sample questions — answers revealed after test

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYRecallEasy

Q1. With reference to the Pinaka system, which one of the following statements is correct?

AIt is a surface-to-air missile system designed to intercept incoming aircraft and cruise missiles.
BIt is an indigenous Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher system developed by the DRDO, which fires salvos of rockets to saturate an area and is designed for high mobility.
CIt is a towed howitzer system imported under licence and assembled in India.
DIt is a single-barrel precision launcher that fires one guided rocket at a time and has no area-saturation role.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYApplicationMedium

Q2. After a maiden flight test demonstrating a range of about 120 km, a successful minimum-range trial at roughly 60 km was conducted. Which one of the following best explains why a minimum-range trial matters?

AIt verifies that the rocket can exceed its stated maximum range under favourable conditions.
BIt is a formality required only for export certification, having no bearing on domestic induction.
CA guided munition must perform reliably across its whole engagement envelope, and the short end is a distinct technical problem — the guidance package has less time and distance in which to correct the trajectory — so establishing the lower bound is necessary before the Army can use the system at all ranges.
DIt demonstrates that the rocket can be fired without its guidance package engaged.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYAnalysisHard

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket: 1. It extends the system's range to about 120 km and adds precision guidance, its maiden flight test having been conducted at ITR Chandipur in December 2025. 2. It was designed principally by the Armament Research and Development Establishment with the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory and other DRDO laboratories. 3. Because the guided rocket requires a redesigned launcher, existing Pinaka units must be replaced before the new rocket can be fielded. Which of the statements given above are correct?

A1 only
B1 and 2 only
C2 and 3 only
D1, 2 and 3
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