RAS question
Pinaka Mk2 (guided) rocket has an approximate range of:
Correct answer: (D) 60+ km.
The Pinaka Mk2 guided rocket has an approximate range of more than 60 km.
Explanation
Pinaka Mk2 is the guided version of the Pinaka rocket, and its range is best understood as 60+ km rather than the 40 km range associated with the unguided Mk1. The PIB release records guided Pinaka trials at ITR Balasore with ranges of 65 km and 75 km, which directly supports the 60+ km answer. Its guidance upgrade matters because the guided version uses Inertial Navigation System and Global Positioning System inputs for mid-course guidance, achieving the desired accuracy in trials. DRDO's ARDE Pune developed Pinaka, with BDL and L&T as production partners, but the range clue itself comes from the guided trials.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 100 km overstates the range indicated here; the guided Pinaka trials were at 65 km and 75 km, so the exam-level approximation is 60+ km.
- (B) 20 km is too short for the guided Pinaka, whose trial ranges were well above 60 km.
- (C) 40 km matches the unguided Mk1 range, not the GPS/INS-guided Mk2 version.
Concept
This tests indigenous defence technology, especially how a guidance upgrade changes a weapon system's range-and-accuracy profile. RAS often asks such facts because DRDO systems link science and technology with national security current affairs.