Export of 1st consignment of Guided Pinaka Rockets to Armenia flagged off by Rajnath

The export of first consignment of Guided Pinaka Rockets to Armenia was flagged off by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh from manufacturer Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited’s (SDAL’s) Nagpur facility on Sunday.

Armenia had earlier signed a deal worth ₹2,000 crore for four Pinaka batteries, which included export of guided rockets for the multi-barrell systems, and other defense equipment. The deliveries of the gun launcher systems had begun in July 2023 and was concluded by November 2024. Sources said that as and when guided rockets would be ready, SDAL will ship them to Armenia. Defence Secretary RK Singh and other top brass of SDAL were present at the flag off ceremony.

Guided Pinaka rockets’ induction into the Indian Army is planned in the coming days.

Rajnath Singh also inaugurated Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited’s (SDAL) state-of-the-art medium calibre ammunition manufacturing facility in Nagpur -- a result of government’s initiative to rope in private industry to get rid of import dependence. India has already achieved about 91 per cent indigenisation in ammunitions, businessline report first on December 25, last year.

During the event, Rajnath Singh praised the Nagastra-1 loitering munition, manufactured by Solar Group, for its pivotal role in Operation Sindoor, the company said in a statement.

Speaking at the inauguration, the Defence Minister said, “We witnessed the brilliance of your ingenuity in Operation Sindoor. The Nagastra drone developed by Solar Group was successfully deployed. This drone struck precisely at those who harbored ill intentions towards our country.”

“I have been told that an advanced version of it has also been developed. One never knows when it might be needed, given that our neighbour is so unpredictable,” he added. Advanced variants—Nagastra-2 and Nagastra-3—are in the final stages of development.

According to the company, Singh further noted Solar Group’s ongoing development of the Bhargavastra anti-drone system—a micro-missile-based hard-kill solution that has already undergone successful test launches.

Medium-calibre ammunition (23 mm to 40 mm class) forms the backbone of infantry combat, armoured vehicles, naval gun systems, and aircraft-mounted cannons.

Currently, a significant proportion of these critical munitions is imported, exposing India to risks from export controls, geopolitical uncertainties, and logistics disruptions.

To address this vulnerability, Solar Group has established a fully automated, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for 100 per cent indigenous 23 mm, 30 mm, and 40 mm ammunition.

The company said it has also set up a fully instrumented in-house firing test range for dynamic evaluation of 30 mm ammunition and 40 mm grenades, with a dedicated range for 23 mm ammunition slated to become operational within the next three months.