DRDO hands over Authority Holding Sealed Particulars of Pinaka rocket system

At the ceremony, documentation required by various production agencies, quality assurance agencies, maintenance agencies and users were formally handed over by three DRDO facilities – ARDE, HEMRL and VRDE – to Controllerate of Quality Assurance (Ammunition). (File)

In an important milestone in the induction of the Pinaka rocket system in the Armed forces, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over the Authority Holding Sealed Particulars (AHSP) of the system to the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) of the Ministry of Defence on Friday.

The handing over ceremony was held at Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), a DRDO facility in Pune. The AHSP transfer marks successful streamlining of production processes of Pinaka rockets, its launchers, battery command posts, loader-cum-replenishment and replenishment vehicles as well as successful establishment of quality assurance processes.

At the ceremony, documentation required by various production agencies, quality assurance agencies, maintenance agencies and users were formally handed over by three DRDO facilities – ARDE, High Energy Material Research Laboratory (HEMRL) and Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) – to Controllerate of Quality Assurance (Ammunition).

The ceremony was held for Pinaka’s mark-1 version, which is a free flight artillery rocket system having a range of 37.5 km. Pinaka rockets are launched from a multi-barrel rocket launcher that is capable of launching a salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds.

Explaining the importance of the AHSP handover, a DRDO scientist said, “The product was conceived, developed and tested by the DRDO from the beginning. Till date, the Army has four regiments of the system. But now, the production and other processes are at such a matured stage that all its attributes can be handed over to the DGQA to handle. It’s like after conceiving an idea and nurturing the product for a long time, its custody is handed over to its intended destination.”

The Pinaka weapon system, named after God Shiva’s bow, is designed and developed by ARDE in association with HEMRL, VRDE and Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR). Pinaka rockets and its ground systems are currently under bulk production at Ordnance Factories, BEML, BEL, Tata Power and L&T Defence.

“Joining the event by video conferencing, Dr G Satheesh Reddy, secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development and chairman, DRDO, described the AHSP transfer as a landmark event in the development of Pinaka Rocket Systems and said they will go a long way in fulfilling the requirement of services,” a press release stated.

The Ministry of Defence recently announced that its acquisition wing has signed contracts with three Indian companies for supply of six regiments of Pinaka Rocket System, which will be deployed along the border with Pakistan and China.

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