India’s conventional missile arsenal received another boost on Thursday as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested its indigenous Pralay missile off the Odisha coast. The test, conducted at 11.10 am, was part of the missile’s user evaluation trials, marking another step towards strengthening India’s home-grown strike capabilities.Defence minister Rajnath Singh announced the successful trial in a post on X, saying the missile met all stipulated objectives. He added that its performance was validated through data captured by various range instruments deployed during the test.The Pralay missile is an indigenously developed, solid-propellant, quasi-ballistic surface-to-surface missile with a strike range of 150 to 500 km, depending on its payload weight. It can carry a 1,000-kg payload over 350 km, while a lighter 500-kg payload extends its range to approximately 500 km.According to the defence ministry, it uses advanced guidance and navigation systems to ensure high precision and can carry multiple types of warheads to engage different targets. The missile can be launched from a mobile launcher, allowing it to be deployed from different locations.Pralay follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory, which allows it to manoeuvre during flight rather than follow a predictable ballistic path. This capability is designed to make interception by enemy air defence systems more challenging. Its solid-fuel propulsion and mobile launch platform also provide operational flexibility.
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