India's Pralay missile debuts on R-Day, closing gap with China, Pakistan

The Pralay missile, India’s first indigenously developed tactical quasi-ballistic missile, was showcased for the first time at the Republic Day parade on Sunday at Kartavya Path 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 latter having been used in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

 

Designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the missile can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. 

 

What are the range and payload specifications of the Pralay missile?

 

The Pralay missile is a short-range, surface-to-surface weapon with a payload capacity ranging from 500 to 1,000 kg. It boasts an operational range of 150 to 500 kilometres.

 

Developed as a canisterised system, the Pralay missile was specifically designed to meet the Indian Army's requirements for a tactical conventional missile suitable for battlefield use. It is reportedly capable of carrying various warheads, including high-explosive preformed fragmentation, penetration-cum-blast, and runway denial penetration submunitions.

 

Pralay is equipped with a solid propellant rocket motor and incorporates several advanced technologies, with precision being one of its key features. 

 

Who will operate the Pralay missile?

 

By December 2022, the Pralay missile was reportedly ready for induction, achieving this milestone in just seven years. It is intended to provide the armed forces with the capability to target enemy positions and critical installations within battlefield zones.

 

Sources within the defence establishment, speaking to ThePrint at the time, clarified that only conventional missiles would fall under the ambit of the Army's planned Rocket Force once it is operational, while nuclear weapons would remain under the control of the Strategic Forces Command. The Pralay missile project, sanctioned in 2015, is derived from the earlier Prahaar missile programme, which was first tested in 2011.

 

The Army's reported aim was to equip itself with a tactical conventional missile designed for battlefield use. Notably, both China and Pakistan already possess tactical ballistic missile capabilities.

 

What makes the Pralay missile a formidable weapon?

 

The Pralay missile’s lethal edge lies in its quasi-ballistic nature, allowing it to follow a low trajectory while retaining the ability to manoeuvre during flight. This capability enhances its effectiveness and makes it harder to intercept.

 

Developed using elements from various missile programmes, including the K-series submarine-launched ballistic missiles and the ballistic missile defence programme, Pralay is reportedly designed to evade interceptor missiles.

 

Ballistic missiles typically rely on rocket propulsion during their initial phase before following an unpowered, arching trajectory that descends rapidly towards the target. Unlike intercontinental ballistic missiles, which exit the Earth’s atmosphere, short-range ballistic missiles like Pralay remain within it.

 

Pralay’s superior speed reportedly makes it exceptionally challenging for even advanced air defence systems to counter.