Pralay Missile

Why in news: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted a salvo launch of two Pralay missiles in quick succession from the same launcher off the Odisha coast. This marked a crucial milestone in user evaluation trials, validating operational readiness and battlefield deployment capability.

What is the Pralay Missile?

1Pralay is an indigenously developed, solid‑propellant, quasi‑ballistic surface‑to‑surface missile.

2It is designed for high‑precision conventional strikes against a wide range of tactical and strategic battlefield targets.

3Developed by DRDO for deployment by the Indian Army and Indian Air Force.

Aim and Strategic Role

1To provide India with a rapid‑response, high‑accuracy conventional strike capability below the nuclear threshold.

2To strengthen tactical deterrence, especially in scenarios requiring swift retaliation without escalation to nuclear conflict.

3To enhance battlefield dominance through precision strikes against enemy infrastructure, command centres and logistics hubs.

Key Features

1Quasi‑ballistic trajectory: Follows a depressed, manoeuvrable flight path, making interception difficult for enemy air defence systems.

2Range: Approximately 150 km to 500 km, covering critical tactical depth.

3Solid propellant: Ensures quick launch readiness, reduced reaction time and high reliability.

4Advanced guidance and navigation: Enables high accuracy and precision across varied target profiles.

5Multiple warhead capability: Can carry different types of conventional warheads for diverse mission requirements.

6Salvo launch capability: Multiple missiles can be fired rapidly from the same launcher, enabling saturation attacks and overwhelming enemy defences.

Why in news: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted a salvo launch of two Pralay missiles in quick succession from the same launcher off the Odisha coast. This marked a crucial milestone in user evaluation trials, validating operational readiness and battlefield deployment capability.

What is the Pralay Missile?

1Pralay is an indigenously developed, solid‑propellant, quasi‑ballistic surface‑to‑surface missile.

2It is designed for high‑precision conventional strikes against a wide range of tactical and strategic battlefield targets.

3Developed by DRDO for deployment by the Indian Army and Indian Air Force.

Aim and Strategic Role

1To provide India with a rapid‑response, high‑accuracy conventional strike capability below the nuclear threshold.

2To strengthen tactical deterrence, especially in scenarios requiring swift retaliation without escalation to nuclear conflict.

3To enhance battlefield dominance through precision strikes against enemy infrastructure, command centres and logistics hubs.

Key Features

1Quasi‑ballistic trajectory: Follows a depressed, manoeuvrable flight path, making interception difficult for enemy air defence systems.

2Range: Approximately 150 km to 500 km, covering critical tactical depth.

3Solid propellant: Ensures quick launch readiness, reduced reaction time and high reliability.

4Advanced guidance and navigation: Enables high accuracy and precision across varied target profiles.

5Multiple warhead capability: Can carry different types of conventional warheads for diverse mission requirements.

6Salvo launch capability: Multiple missiles can be fired rapidly from the same launcher, enabling saturation attacks and overwhelming enemy defences.