As part of a larger move toward reciprocal defense acquisition between the two nations, France is allegedly assessing India’s domestically produced Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher. The action is taken as Paris looks to close artillery capability gaps that have been made worse by ongoing military assistance to Ukraine.
India’s advancement of a proposed $36 billion purchase for 114 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault Aviation, which signals a shift from a primarily one-way arms trade to a more balanced defense alliance, coincides with the possible interest. As France’s current LRU rocket launchers, which are based on the M270 platform, approach retirement by 2027, French officials are reportedly looking into Indian-made systems.
In comparison to Western options like the US HIMARS, Pinaka, which was developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization, is prized for its cost-effectiveness, mobility, and rapid-fire capacity. Advanced versions of the system can fire more than 90 kilometers, and it can launch 12 rockets in 44 seconds.
The talks are a reflection of the strengthening strategic alignment between France and India, which was reaffirmed during French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent visit to India, where the two countries decided to strengthen their defense, technology, and Indo-Pacific cooperation.
Source – Zee News
