Pralay Missile, To Be Deployed Along Pakistan And China Borders, Successfully Test Fired

The Pralay ballistic missile, developed by the DRDO, met all its mission goals.

Representational Image. The 'Pralay' missile was test-fired from the Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast ( Image Source :PTI )

As India confronts a two-front threat on its borders, the country on Tuesday successfully tested its surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) 'Pralay' from the Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast, PTI quoted a defence official as saying. The missile, which will be deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LoC), met all its mission goals.

Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), 'Pralay' is a 350-500 km surface-to-surface missile. It has a payload capacity of 500-1,000 kg. It was successfully tested twice previously in December 2021.

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The Pralay missile, along with the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, will be part of the newly proposed "Rocket force", IANS reported. In September, the Defence Ministry gave clearance for the acquisition of Pralay ballistic missiles.

Besides being an additional firepower option for the Indian Army in its borders along Pakistan and China, the missile will give the forces the capability to hit enemy positions and key installations in actual battlefield areas.

The Pralay missile, which has a speed of around 2,000 km per hour, boasts of modern features like an infrared or thermal scanner. It can also be used in the night to attack targets. The guidance system of the missile includes state-of-the-art navigation and integrated avionics, PTI reported.

What makes it more lethal is the fact that the missile can manoeuve during the flight, increasing its chances of penetrating enemy defences. Powered by a solid propellant rocket motor, the missile has been developed in a way to be able to defeat interceptor missiles.

The defence official said India's Pralay missile was similar to China's 'Dong Feng 12' and Russia's 'Iskander', which has been used in the ongoing war with Ukraine. Pakistan also possesses tactical ballistic missiles.