The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted a flight test of its indigenously developed Pralay surface-to-surface quasi-ballistic missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. The trial was carried out as part of user evaluation trials and met all stipulated objectives, according to data captured by range instruments deployed by the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed the success, noting that the test marked another significant milestone in strengthening India’s indigenous defence capabilities. The Ministry of Defence said the successful trial has made the induction of the system into the armed forces imminent, a step that would add a new conventional strike option to India’s arsenal.
What Pralay can do
Pralay is a canisterised, solid-propellant, short-range quasi-ballistic missile designed for high-precision conventional strikes. It has an operational range of 150 to 500 kilometres and can carry a payload of 500 to 1,000 kg. Its quasi-ballistic trajectory and ability to perform mid-air manoeuvres make it harder for enemy air defence systems to intercept, and it can attain terminal speeds of up to Mach 6.1.
An earlier trial engaged two simulated targets approximately 500 kilometres away, demonstrating the system’s ability to follow its planned flight path and strike at distance. The missile bridges the gap between the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers and the long-range Agni series of strategic missiles, giving commanders a tactical weapon that can strike targets at considerable distance without aircraft entering heavily defended airspace.
Built in India
The missile has been developed by the Research Centre Imarat in Hyderabad, in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories, while Bharat Dynamics Limited, a development-cum-production partner, has manufactured the system. The programme is presented as a showcase of indigenous defence manufacturing, with design, guidance and production all handled within the country.
With the user evaluation trials complete, the system is slated for operational induction into the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. For India’s defence planners, Pralay adds a fast, manoeuvrable and locally built strike option; for the DRDO, the successful trial is the latest in a run of indigenous missile tests that have steadily expanded the country’s conventional deterrence.
India has tested indigenous missile systems before, drawing praise from Arunachal’s Chief Minister, while the Prime Minister recently attended an Indian Air Force display in Varanasi. The Pralay trial extends that story from the air show ground to the test range.
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