During France visit, PM Modi pitches Pinaka rocket launcher system to Macron

The Pinaka system is already being exported to Armenia, while some ASEAN and African countries have shown interest in procuring it

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBLR) to French President Emmanuel Macron during their bilateral meeting, as India and France work to expand defence cooperation.

During his talks with President Macron, PM Modi invited the French Army to take “a closer look” at the Pinaka MBRL, emphasising that an acquisition of this system by France would be another milestone in Indo-French defence ties, according to a joint statement.

Modi was on a three-day visit to France, where he also co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit along with Macron. This was Modi’s sixth visit to the country – wherein discussions also revolved around key global and regional issues.

The Pinaka system is already being exported to Armenia, while some ASEAN and African countries have shown interest in procuring it, according to reports.

The domestically made Pinaka rocket system with a range of up to 90 km (56 miles) was demonstrated to a French delegation in India around three months ago and was found to be satisfactory, Reuters reported citing an Indian official.

Used by the Indian Army and deployed in the 1999 India-Pakistan war, the Pinaka rocket launcher system is undergoing enhancements to increase its range, according to Ummalaneni Raja Babu, director general of missiles and strategic systems at India's Defence Research and Development Organisation.

The India-France joint statement said both sides welcomed the ongoing discussions in missiles, helicopter engines and jet engines.

“Both leaders commended progress in collaboration in construction of Scorpene submarines in India, including indigenisation, and in particular the work carried out with a view to the integration of DRDO developed Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) into P75-Scorpene submarines and the analyses conducted regarding the possible integration of the Integrated Combat System (ICS) into the future P75-AS submarines,” the statement read.

Between 2019 and 2023, France was India’s second-largest arms supplier after Russia, as per the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

A potential deal on Pinaka would be the first time India's second-largest arms supplier buys weapons from New Delhi.