France impressed by India's Pinaka rocket launcher. Could India score its next big defence deal?

A few months after France expressed interest in the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launch (MBRL) system with a top French Army official saying that the weapon system is "very interesting", reports say that the country is looking at long-range systems and drones that were used by the Indian Army.

 

In November, the French Army's Brigadier General Stephane Richou had expressed interest in Pinaka, saying, “We are evaluating Pinaka because we need a system like that and we are evaluating this among the other systems of the highest countries... This is much more than a business partnership; this is cooperation." "For us, the industry of Indian defence is very effective. We are looking at the capacities offered by India as much as we are looking at the capacities of the highest countries providing equipment," he had then said.

 

Now, French Army chief General Pierre Schill, who is in India for the United Nations Troop Contributing Countries' (UNTCC) Chiefs Conclave being hosted by India in Delhi, told his Indian counterpart that he is interested in looking at systems used by the Indian Army because it is a time when the French forces are renewing their own long-range artillery systems, according to a report in Economic Times. 

 

The French side is reportedly impressed by the performances of India's weapon systems, including long-range systems and drones, during Operation Sindoor, as Gen Gill said, "The Indian Army is using those systems very accurately because of your industry and because of the way they are able to adapt them to operations. And what we have seen in Operation Sindoor is very important," according to ET.

 

He could possibly have been referring to the Pinaka systems, in which the French side has already shown interest, as Gen Schill said, while the two countries can cooperate in all domains of warfare, of particular interest is loitering munitions and long-range systems.

 

The shoot and scoot Pinaka MBRL, designed to deliver a large volume of fire within a very short time against critical and sensitive area targets, played a decisive role in Operation Sindoor as India used them for targeted, cross-LoC retaliatory strikes.

 

"The two Chiefs reaffirmed the robust Indo-French strategic partnership, with discussions on expanding joint training exercises, counter-terrorism cooperation and defence technology collaboration. Both sides emphasised the need for enhanced interoperability in UN peacekeeping operations. #UNTCC2025 #IndiaAtUN #UNPeacekeeping #GlobalSecurity #VasudhaivaKutumbakam," the Indian Army said in a tweet.

 

India and France have a robust defence relationship marked by strategic partnership, joint military exercises, deepening technology collaborations, and increasing interest in co-development of advanced weapon systems and platforms. A Reuters report had recently said France is in advanced talks with India to buy the rocket launcher system. The potential sale would be a shot in the arm for the defence industry as France is India's second-largest arms supplier.

Defence