Private Company Developing 250-300 Km Range Guided Rockets for India

Nagpur: JSR Dynamics, the company founded by former vice chief of air staff Air Marshal (retd) Shirish Deo, is at an advanced stage of developing a guided rocket of 324 mm calibre. On completion of the project, it is expected to be the first ever weapon system of this kind in India under the above-300 mm caliber category.

It is billed to outperform the existing arsenal of similar systems with the forces, and also counter the A300 type of rockets with the Pakistani army. Currently, the Indian defence forces have the Russian Smerch rocket under this category. Smerch has a caliber of 300 mm.
The 324 mm rocket of JSR has been designed to have a larger caliber and a longer range, said Deo. The Smerch rockets with India are unguided weapons, he said.

The JSR rocket on the other hand is expected to have a range of 250 to 300km along with guided capacity, making it more precise on the target. The Smerch rocket has a range of around 100km. Deo says even with the advanced features there are plans to sell the rocket at a price lower than the current price of acquisition of other systems.

The design has been made and the guidance system would be ready soon. JSR is in talks with a European company to provide highly specific impulse propellent. If it works out, some of the units may be sent for filling. The warhead would be made by JSR.
The propellent gives a push to the rocket, and explosion is created by the warhead.

The rocket is being independently developed by JSR using its own funds and is not against any request for proposal by the defence forces. On completion, the company plans to put it up before the army for evaluation. The company is open for exports to friendly countries too, he said.
Once ready, the rockets are expected to be a game changer for the forces. This would also be the first of its kind of weapon designed and made in India, said Deo.

Work is under way in both private sector and defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) for making the guided Pinaka rockets. However, Pinaka is of 224 mm caliber, and a shorter range. The guided Pinaka rockets have range of 70km. As against this, the conventional Pinaka can be fired upto 40km.
JSR Dynamics was formed by Deo after he retired from service. The current investment stands at Rs63 crore. “We believe in operating at rather low margins as profit is not the motive,” he said.

After the surface fired rockets, there are plans to make a variant which can be shot from fighter planes too.

Source: ToI