Content

1. Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket
2. INSV Kaundinya’s Maiden Voyage

Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket

Why in News ?

• DRDO successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR-120) on 29 December 2025 at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur.
• The rocket achieved its maximum range of 120 km with high-precision target impact, validating guidance, control and in-flight manoeuvre capabilities.
• The system was launched from an in-service Pinaka launcher, proving compatibility across Pinaka variants and enhancing operational flexibility.

Relevance

GS-III | Defence Technology & Internal Security

• Indigenisation & Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Defence Manufacturing — indigenous R&D ecosystem (DRDO, ARDE, HEMRL, DRDL, RCI).
• Strategic Forces Modernisation — precision-guided long-range artillery bridging gap between guns and tactical missiles.
• Internal & External Security Preparedness — counter-battery fire, deep-strike support, battlefield deterrence.

Understanding the Pinaka System

• Origin & Role
  • Indigenous Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) developed by DRDO in the 1990s; inducted post-Kargil for area saturation fire support.
• Variants (Evolution)
  • Pinaka Mk-I — ~40 km range (unguided, battlefield support)
  • Pinaka Mk-II / Guided Pinaka — ~70–90 km, improved accuracy with guidance kit
  • Pinaka LRGR-120 (New) — 120 km, precision-guided long-range strike
• Platform
  • Mounted on high-mobility launch vehicles; rapid shoot-and-scoot capability.

Technical Features of LRGR-120 

• Range & Accuracy
  • 120 km maximum range, precision impact (“textbook precision”).
• Guidance & Navigation
  • Likely INS-GPS based guidance, mid-course corrections, terminal accuracy enhancements.
• Design & Development Ecosystem
  • Developed by ARDE with support from HEMRL, DRDL, RCI.
  • Trial coordinated by ITR & Proof & Experimental Establishment.
• Launcher Compatibility
  • Fired from existing Pinaka launcher, enabling multi-range munitions from a single platform.
• Operational Advantages
  • Higher standoff distance, survivability, quick deployment, reduced logistics footprint.

Strategic Significance for India’s Armed Forces

• Extended Battlefield Reach
  • Bridges gap between tube artillery and tactical ballistic missiles.
• Precision-Strike over Long Range
  • Enables counter-battery fire, interdiction of logistics hubs, and deep-area targeting.
• Indigenisation & Self-Reliance
  • Strengthens Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence munitions & rocket systems.
• Game-Changer Capability
  • Enhances deterrence, joint-force firepower, and cost-effective long-range strike options.

Comparative Perspective

• Similar Global Systems
  • Comparable class to HIMARS / MLRS (US), Lynx (Israel), Tornado-S (Russia).
• Differentiator
  • Cost-effective, indigenous, modular launcher supporting multiple rocket ranges.

Implications for Future Capability Development

• Pathway to Larger Ecosystem
  • Integration with network-centric warfare, ISR-targeting chains, UAV-based cueing.
• Potential Enhancements
  • Higher-range variants, improved seekers, swarming salvo doctrines.
• Export Potential
  • Strong candidate for friendly foreign militaries under defence diplomacy.

INSV Kaundinya’s Maiden Voyage

 Why in News ?

• INSV Kaundinya, an indigenously built traditional stitched sailing vessel of the Indian Navy, embarked on its maiden overseas voyage from Porbandar to Muscat on 29 December 2025.
• The expedition aims to revive and celebrate India–Oman maritime heritage, retracing ancient trade and cultural routes across the Arabian Sea.
• The voyage underscores maritime diplomacy, cultural connect, and heritage preservation as strategic pillars of India’s naval outreach.

Relevance

GS-I | Culture & Heritage

• Maritime Heritage & Civilisational Exchanges — revival of stitched-boat traditions, ancient India–Oman trade links.

GS-III | Maritime Security & Indian Ocean Region

• Naval Outreach & Maritime Presence — symbolic assertion of India’s maritime identity.
• Indian Ocean Geopolitics — cultural diplomacy complementing security cooperation.

From Basics — Understanding INSV Kaundinya & Stitched Vessels

• What is a stitched vessel?
  • Traditional shipbuilding method where planks are stitched together with natural fibre cords, not metal fasteners.
  • Historically used along India’s western coast — Gujarat, Konkan, Kerala — for long-distance Indian Ocean navigation.
• Civilisational Context
  • Reflects India’s role in pre-modern maritime trade networks — spices, horses, dates, textiles, pearls.
  • Echoes accounts from Arab chroniclers, Sangam texts, and maritime archaeology (Lothal, Sohar links).

Voyage Highlights (Expedition)

• Route: Porbandar (Gujarat) → Muscat (Oman)
• Purpose: Re-enact ancient sea routes connecting western India with Oman.
• Crew: 4 officers + 13 sailors;

Design & Heritage Features

• Indigenously constructed using traditional stitched shipbuilding techniques and natural materials.
• Based on historical and iconographic evidence — recreating indigenous seamanship, navigational practices, and hull design traditions.
• Acts as a “living laboratory” of maritime history, linking craft traditions with contemporary naval heritage initiatives.

Strategic & Diplomatic Significance

• Maritime Diplomacy
  • Reinforces India–Oman strategic partnership through heritage-led engagement.
  • Deepens people-to-people ties, cultural memory, and shared oceanic identity.
• Indian Ocean Civilisational Continuity
  • Reaffirms India’s historic seafaring ethos and coastal trade networks.
• Soft Power & Narrative Building
  • Positions India as a culturally rooted, responsible maritime nation in the IOR.
• Regional Geopolitical Context
  • Complements SAGAR vision, Indian Navy outreach, Western Indian Ocean engagement.

India–Oman Maritime Linkages

• Historical
  • Gujarat–Oman ties via Kutch, Mandvi, Porbandar trading communities.
  • Shared maritime routes across Gulf of Oman & Arabian Sea for centuries.
• Contemporary
  • Strategic partnership, defence cooperation, access arrangements, energy & diaspora linkages.
  • Oman hosts one of the largest Indian expatriate communities in West Asia.