Defence News of India
Indian Army has been using the Russian BM-30 ‘Smerch’ heavy multiple rocket launcher system with a range of 90km since 2012, and with local licence production rights, it has been in continuous production since then.
However, things are about to change as EEL of Solar Group has been given clearance to develop Maheshvarastra-1, a Multi Barrel Guided Rocket Launch System with a range of 150 kilometres that will begin replacing the existing Smerch system imported from Russia.
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Maheshvarastra 1 will be armed with a 250 kg custom-designed warhead to defeat a variety of targets and will be integrated with the INS/GPS directed to precisely attack the targets with a CEP of less than 10 metres to cause aerial damage to enemy targets.
Manish Satyanarayan Nuwal, managing director of Solar Group, stated that it will have more than 75% indigenous material and be ready for testing within 18 months, as its application has been accepted by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
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Solar Group is also developing Maheshvarastra 2, which will have a 290-kilometer range.
