Maiden flight test of Pinaka long-range guided rocket conducted successfully

New Delhi: The maiden flight test of Pinaka long-range guided rocket was conducted successfully on Monday, and it impacted the target with "textbook precision", the defence ministry said.

The test was conducted at Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha.

The rocket was tested for its maximum range of 120 km "demonstrating all in-flight manoeuvres" as planned.

"The maiden flight test of Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR 120) was conducted successfully at Integrated Test Range, Chandipur today," the ministry said.

The LRGR impacted the target with "textbook precision", the ministry said in a statement.

All the deployed range instruments tracked the flight throughout its trajectory, it said.

The LRGR was launched from the in-service Pinaka launcher demonstrating its versatility and providing launch capability of Pinaka variants of different range from the same launcher, officials said.

This rocket is designed by Armament Research and Development Establishment, a lab of the DRDO, in association with High Energy Materials Research Laboratory and with support from Defence Research and Development Laboratory and Research Centre Imarat, the ministry said.

The flight trial was coordinated by ITR and Proof & Experimental Establishment.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO on the achievement.

He said the successful design and development of long range guided rockets will boost the capabilities of armed forces, terming it as a "game changer", according to the ministry.

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, and DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat witnessed the trial and congratulated all the teams for accomplishing the mission objectives.