NEW DELHI ($1=82.06 Indian Rupees) — The combat capability of India’s Pinaka Mark-II guided missile system can be seen soon. Armenia intends to purchase Pinaka Mark-II from India. India supports Armenia in the conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. On September 27, New Delhi appealed to Baku, calling Azerbaijan an “aggressor country” and urging it to “immediately stop hostilities.”
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is neither random nor unimportant. Ambitions to supply arms from at least five countries – India, Russia, Israel, Iran, and Turkey – have been implicated. Russia is currently unable to support its Armenian partners. However, India intends to do so.
Iran has also supported Armenia by warning Azerbaijan that the border between Iran and Armenia is a “red line”. Iran borders both warring countries – Azerbaijan and Armenia. However, Iran pursues its own interests more than solidarity with the Armenian people. If the Azeris “remove” the border between Iran and Armenia, this means greater influence on the Turkey-Nakhchivan-Azerbaijan axis. Iran sees a threat in this scenario, as the influence of pan-Turkic ambitions and NATO expansion will also increase.
What does Armenia buy from India?
According to various Indian sources, Armenia is ready to spend [or has already spent] nearly 244 million USD on Indian arms. However, this information is contradictory and unconfirmed.
Several newspapers in India claim that Armenia will purchase a total of four batteries of Pinaka Mark-II guided missile systems. According to the claims – two will be delivered now and the other two later. Other various military equipment, such as anti-tank missiles and ammunition, is also being talked about.
Pinaka Mark-II
Pinaka Mark-II is an Indian multiple-launch rocket system [MLRS] with guided missiles. The system has been in development since the 1980s, but the Mark-II version is from the current decade. This configuration is a short-range system – a 60 km standard strike, but if guided missiles are used the range increases to 75 to 90 km.
The rockets are 214mm caliber. The warhead of one rocket weighs 100 kg. The warhead may also be in a different configuration in terms of combat capability and striking power. Most often, however, the warhead of the Pinaka missile is the HMX. I.e. high explosive fragmentation, cluster munition–incendiary, anti-personnel, anti-tank, mine-laying. Detonation of the missile is carried out in three ways: contact, proximity, and electronic time fuze. The speed of the rocket reaches Mach 4.7.
Engine T-930 multi-fuel turbocharged V8 with intercooler provides the power of the combat transport vehicle. If the tank is filled with fuel, the system can cover a distance of 800 km. The chassis of Pinaka Mark-II is 8×8 Tatra T8.
Pinaka Mark-II vs HAROP
Indian journalist Joseph P. Chacko believes that Israel’s HAROP kamikaze drone will be countered by India’s Pinaka Mark-II system. But he dares not speculate whether this pushback will help Armenia and how effective the Indian system will be against any drone, not just HAROP.
Azeris are known to buy 60% of their weapons from Israel. Israel receives gas at quite preferential prices from Israel.
In the last two years, Azerbaijan has demonstrated the effectiveness of HAROP precisely on the battlefields over Nagorno-Karabakh. Various videos are shared about the effectiveness of the kamikaze drone. Buildings, vehicles, armored vehicles, and positions were destroyed by HAROP.
Drones like HAROP fly at low altitudes. Interestingly, these drones can suppress older S-300 batteries and Grad rocket launchers. On the other hand, neither HAROP nor any other Azerbaijani drone in the last two years destroyed the Armenian Swati radars. And they are Indian production.
