DRDO Pinaka Long Range: The Defence Research and Development Organisation has carried out a successful flight test of the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket, also called LRGR, at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur on July 8, 2026. The rocket was tested for a user-defined minimum range of 60 km. It flew as planned, followed the expected path, and hit the target with “textbook precision”. All the range instruments kept tracking it through the full flight.
This test is another strong step for India’s home-grown defence work. The Pinaka system is already an important part of the Indian Army’s artillery setup. Now this long-range guided version adds more reach and better accuracy. It also makes India’s rocket system look more ready for modern battlefield needs.
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Fired from the same launcher
One important part of this trial was that the LRGR was launched from the in-service Pinaka launcher. That means different Pinaka rocket types, even with different ranges, can still use the same launcher. This makes the system more flexible for the Army and reduces the need for separate launcher setups for each version.
The rocket was designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment with help from the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory. It also had support from the Defence Research and Development Laboratory and Research Centre Imarat. The flight trial was coordinated by the Integrated Test Range and the Proof & Experimental Establishment.
Praise from top leaders
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the Indian Army and the industry partners after the successful test. He called it a major milestone in India’s indigenous design and development ability for long-range guided rockets.
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Defence Secretary and Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, and Chairman of DRDO, Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, closely watched the trial too. After the test, he praised all the teams that worked on the rocket and its testing.
