India Test's Multi-barrel Rocket system.

[vicky007]

http://news.indiainfo.com/2005/05/27/2705pinaka-trial.html.

What is meant by Pulverising a Bigger Geographical area?

The System has a Fixed Extended Firing Range.Its Salvo Firing ability is also the same at 44 Seconds, so once it has fired the Salvo of 12 Rockets, it is mentioned that it can decimate targets in an area of 3.9 Sq Kms.so what is this Testing about Pulverising a Bigger area?

Would this mean Warheads with more Destructive ability? Guru's please clarify.

 

[Aussie Digger]

I think it's referring to rocket artillery's destructive capability as compared to traditional tube artillery. Rocket artillery allows you to massively concentrate force in a short period of time over a wider area.

Tube artillery on the other hand allows you to pound enemy positions for extended periods of time and is normally more "accurate" than rocket artillery hence the predominant use of large quantities of sub-munitions by rocket systems such as MLRS. Both capabilities are complementary however and no system is "better" than the other...

 

[driftder]

Is it a towed or mobile platform? If its mobile, what type - tracked or wheeled? What is the calibre? How well does it compare with other MLRS and what benchmark is it compared with?

For eg. the USA MLRS comes in 2 types - the usual tracked version we been seeing and another less known wheeled version, the HIMARS (HIGH MOBILITY ARTILLERY ROCKET SYSTEM, USA). The link and info to HIMARS can be found here: http://www.army-technology.com/projects/himars/.

 

[aaaditya]

ity is wheeled system mounted on the tatra trucks caliber is of 214mm range 40 kms it is to be fitted with the israeli tcs(trajectory guidance system) which will give it pinpoint accuracy the warhead is around 200kgs(not sure),may be it is being tested for the installation of tcs.the system was operationally tested during the kargil war and it met all the requirements however the army suggested further modifications it has been currently inducted.
check www.bharat-rakshak.com for more detailed report(army section):coffee

 

[Awang se]

i think india design the system with nuclear delivery capability in mind. even with TCS, it's pretty hard to have a pinpoint accuracy for unguided rocket, unless they use a ballistic missile (i predict india will develope a TBM that can be launch from this baby soon). so for unguided rocket, they usually use a nuke or a cluster munitions to increase hit probability

 

[aaaditya]

you cannot use a nuclear warhead on a 40 kms ranged system ,the range is too inadequate and any nuclear radiation will effect one's own troops,pinaka is developed as an artillery system to supplement the existing artillery systems with indian army,the accuracy of pinaka without tcs is expected to be around 1% of the max range (45 kms) that is about 450 metres for each rocket.:coffee

 

[ajay_ijn]

Pinaka is already delayed project.
IA is thinking about buying 24 smerch MLRS, may be they are not satisfied with Pinaka

 

[aaaditya]

pinaka has already been inducted(the tests currently being conducted are to check its compatibility of the rockets with tcs) i cannot give the exact numbers inducted because they are being manufactured by the larsen and toubro.(drdo handed over the technology to l and t as aresult of millitary and private industry collaboration),smerch was never indtended to replace the pinaka ,it was meant to supplement it smerch has a long range of 90+kms and is 330mm calibre compared to pinaka's 214mm calibre(pinaka can replace the grads with indian army).:coffee

 

[highsea]

"...the warhead is around 200kgs(not sure),"

Try 50kg.

"you cannot use a nuclear warhead on a 40 kms ranged system ,the range is too inadequate and any nuclear radiation will effect one's own troops"

40 km is well outside the danger zone for a sub-kiloton tac nuke. The Davy Crockett only had a 1.5 mile range, and was a 0.2kt warhead.

 

[Prestidigitator]

Pinaka is already delayed project.
IA is thinking about buying 24 smerch MLRS, may be they are not satisfied with Pinaka

This is not correct. IA has already committed to buying large numbers of Pinaka. Pinaka is a brigade level weapons system, meant to complement 155mm guns. IA may buy more than 100 such systems. It will equip strike corps, holding corps and even mountain warfare units.

Smerch is a corps level system and is meant for large scale attacks on enemy positions up to 90 km away. It will primarily equip strike corps. IA may buy at most 36 Smerch systems.

 

[aaaditya]

the warhead on pinaka weighs 100kgs also indian army is reportedly acquiring the pinaka's at a rate of 1 regiment per year as the older grad regiments are being retired(www.bharat-rakshak.com),each rocket weighs 275 kgs.

 

[highsea]

the warhead on pinaka weighs 100kgs.

Lol, you're right, I was going from memory. I knew is wasn't 200kgs.

From Global Security:

The indigenously built Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher Weapon Area System can fire rockets with a range of 39-40 km, in a salvo of 12 rockets with 1.2 tons of high explosives within 40 seconds.

1.2 tons/12=.1 ton per warhead, or 200lbs. (~100kg).

 

[ajay_ijn]

pinaka has already been inducted(the tests currently being conducted are to check its compatibility of the rockets with tcs) i cannot give the exact numbers inducted because they are being manufactured by the larsen and toubro.(drdo handed over the technology to l and t as aresult of millitary and private industry collaboration),smerch was never indtended to replace the pinaka ,it was meant to supplement it smerch has a long range of 90+kms and is 330mm calibre compared to pinaka's 214mm calibre(pinaka can replace the grads with indian army).:coffee

I forgot that Army used Pinaka in kargil and it performed well.
1 regiment was raied in the year 2001 which means 30 Systems are inducted.
It is planned produce each regiment per year.
So we can expect that Indian Army has minimum 60 Systems.

What kind of guidance does These Rockets have?

I heard Israel is upgrading BM-21 rocket shells but BM-21 is going to retire soon.

 

[aaaditya]

the pinaka's are currently being equipped with the tcs(trajectory correction system) these are also being fitted on the bm21 grad.:coffee