Pralay Missile

Dec. 30, 2022

In a major boost to the striking capabilities of the Indian armed forces, the defense ministry has recently cleared a proposal to purchase 120 Pralay missiles for the Indian Air Force and Army.

About:

  • Pralay is an indigenous short-range ballistic surface-to-surface missile. The missile will be India’s first tactical quasi-ballistic missile and will give the armed forces the capability to hit enemy positions and key installations in actual battlefield areas.
  • Developed by: The solid-fuel, battlefield missile developed by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) is based on Prithvi Defence Vehicle from the Indian ballistic missile programme.
  • Features:
    • Pralay’ is powered with a solid propellant rocket motor and other new technologies. The missile guidance system includes state-of-the-art navigation and integrated avionics, according to the DRDO.
    • The advanced missile has been developed in a way to be able to defeat interceptor missiles. It has the ability to change its path after covering a certain range mid-air.
    • It is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of about 350 kg to 700 kg, which gives it a deadly punitive capability.
  • Range: The canisterised Pralay missile, has a range of 150-500 kilometres.
  • Ballistic missiles: They are initially powered by a rocket or series of rockets in stages, but then follow an unpowered trajectory that arches upwards before descending to reach its intended target at high speed. Unlike intercontinental ballistic missiles that exit the Earth’s atmosphere, short-range ballistic missiles stay within it.