Pralay Missile clears salvo user trials (Photo: DRDO)
New Delhi: Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted salvo launch of two Pralay missiles in quick succession from the same launcher off the coast of Odisha on December 31, paving the way for its early induction into the armed forces.
The flight-test was conducted as part of user evaluation trials.
Both the missiles followed the intended trajectory meeting all flight objectives as confirmed by tracking sensors deployed by the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur.
Read also: ‘Pralay’ missile gets government nod for Air Force and Army
The terminal events were confirmed by Telemetry systems installed onboard ship, deployed near the impact points.
All about Pralay missile
An indigenously developed solid-propellant quasi-ballistic missile, Pralay employs state-of-the-art guidance and navigation to ensure high precision. The missile was first showcased at the 2025 Republic Day parade in New Delhi.
Alongside the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, Pralay is expected to play a key role in India’s planned Rocket Force.
It is reportedly comparable to China’s Dong Feng 12 and Russia’s Iskander missile, the US Army’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) and South Korea’s Hyunmoo-2, Pralay can deceive anti-ballistic missile interceptors.
Read also: India tests its first quasi-ballistic missile ‘Pralay’ for conventional strike in Odisha
A short-range, surface-to-surface weapon with a payload capacity ranging from 500 to 1,000 kilograms, the Pralay missile boasts an operational range of 150 to 500 kilometres.
Capable of carrying multiple types of warheads, including conventional and nuclear against various targets, the Pralay e-system has been developed by Research Centre Imarat in collaboration other DRDO labs – Defence Research & Development Laboratory, Advanced Systems Laboratory, Armament Research & Development Establishment, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, Research & Development Establishment (Engineers) and ITR etc; industry partners - Bharat Dynamics Limited & Bharat Electronics Limited and many other industries and MSMEs.
Developed as a canisterized system, the Pralay missile was specifically designed to meet the Indian Army's requirements for a tactical conventional missile suitable for battlefield use.
Sanctioned in 2015, the Pralay missile project, is derived from the earlier Prahaar missile programme, which was first tested in 2011.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has complimented DRDO, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, DPSUs and the industry on the successful launch of the missiles in quick succession. The successful completion of the salvo launch of the Pralay missile has established the reliability of the missile, he said.
Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat has congratulated the DRDO teams involved in the successful flight-tests and stated that the achievement indicates imminent readiness of induction of the system with the users.
