India Develops 400 km Pinaka Rockets to Counter Pakistan Fatah II Missile

Defence affairs analysis - IDRW analysis 

Pakistan has begun fielding the Fatah II guided multiple-launch rocket system, reportedly able to reach about 400 kilometers with high precision strike guided by satellite navigation mid Air correction course.

India should accelerate the development of long-range Pinaka variants (Mk5/Mk6) to regain deep-strike parity and improve counterbattery options without escalating to ballistic missile use.

According to an analysis published by IDRW on November 4, 2025, Pakistan began fielding the Fatah II guided multiple launch rocket system with a claimed reach of 400 km and sub-10 m circular error probable. The media argues that India should fast-track long-range Pinaka variants labeled Mk5 and Mk6 to restore deep strike parity along the western front. This assessment aligns with Indian Army modernization priorities that emphasize precision fires able to neutralize mobile launchers, logistics nodes, and command hubs without escalating to ballistic missile employment.

Fatah II is a 300 mm class precision rocket fired from a compact two-tube launcher using inertial and satellite navigation for midcourse correction. At 400 km, the system can hold at risk Indian fuel farms, ammunition depots, and air base infrastructure across Punjab and Rajasthan while remaining deep inside Pakistani territory. The affordability of precision rockets compared with ballistic missiles, and the ease of shoot-and-scoot tactics, pose a real challenge for Indian point defenses optimized for shorter-range salvos and air threats.

India’s current rocket artillery tier is designed around Pinaka batteries with guided and extended-range rockets providing roughly 45 to 75 km, reinforced by Russian-origin BM-30 Smerch in the 90 km class, and a layered air defense network that includes Akash and the medium-range surface-to-air missile operated by the Indian Air Force. These systems can intercept some incoming rockets, but the operational problem is distance and time. A launcher firing from several hundred kilometers away exposes itself for only minutes, then disappears into pre-surveyed hides or urban clutter. Countering the arrow alone is not enough: India needs reliable ways to find and rapidly strike the archer.