India offers an indigenously developed Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system to France during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with President Emmanuel Macron. The discussion expanded on the defence and security cooperation between the two countries.
The Pinaka system was developed by the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) for the use of the Indian Army. The system found its first foreign customer in 2023 when Armenia signed a $ 245 million deal to buy it. Since then, several other countries, including Indonesia and Nigeria, have expressed their interest in the Pinaka weapon system.
Indo-France Relations
France is one of India’s closest strategic partners from Europe and has now become a viable buyer of the Indian weaponry system. Over the years, France supplied a range of combat jets, submarines, and other weaponry to India. The two sides are already in negotiations for acquiring 26 Rafael M combat jets and three scorpion submarines for the Indian Army.
Modi now has invited the French army to take a closer look at the Pinaka MBRL system, emphasising that the acquisition of the system by France would be another milestone in the Indo-French defence ties.
