New Delhi: India today said it has successfully test-fired an enhanced range variant of the locally-made 122-mm-calibre rocket off Odisha on the east coast, thus readying a weapon that can hit targets 40 km away.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out the test from a Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the Odisha coast.

“Four enhanced range version of 122mm rockets were test-fired with full instrumentation and they met the complete mission objectives,” a statement from DRDO said.

“These rockets have been developed for army applications and can destroy targets up to 40 km.”

All the flight articles were tracked by Range instruments, including Telemetry, Radar and Electro Optical Tracking System deployed by ITR and Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE).

The rocket systems have been developed jointly by Pune-based Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) with manufacturing support from Economic Explosives Limited, a private sector company from Nagpur.

This enhanced rocket system would replace the existing 122mm Grad rockets.

Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and the Industry on the successful launch of 122mm-calibre rocket. DRDO Chairman and India’s Department of Defence Researh and Development Secretary Dr G. Satheesh Reddy commended the efforts of the teams involved in the successful trials.

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