Pralay ("

Pralaya Pralaya ( sa, प्रलय, , Apocalypse or the Annihilation of the Universe, translit=Pralaya) is a concept in Hindu eschatology. Generally referring to four different phenomena, it is most commonly used to indicate the event of the dissol ...

: Apocalypse") is a canisterised

tactical Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to: * Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks ** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield ** Chess tactics ** Political tacti ...

surface-to-surface A surface-to-surface missile (SSM) or ground-to-ground missile (GGM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea and strike targets on land or at sea. They may be fired from hand-held or vehicle mounted devices, from fixed ins ...

, and

short-range ballistic missile A short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) is a ballistic missile with a range of about or less. In past and potential regional conflicts, these missiles have been and would be used because of the short distances between some countries and their relat ...

(SRBM) for battlefield use developed by the

Defence Research and Development Organisation The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (IAST: ''Raksā Anūsandhān Evam Vikās Sangaṭhan'') is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India ...

(DRDO) of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The missile is an amalgamation of technologies developed for exoatmospheric interceptor missile Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) from

Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme The Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Program is an initiative to develop and deploy a multi-layered ballistic missile defence system to protect India from ballistic missile attacks. It was launched in 2000 after Kargil War by the Atal Bihari Vaj ...

and Prahaar tactical missile. The project to develop Pralay was sanctioned in March 2015 with a budget of .

Development

Research Centre Imarat Research Centre Imarat (RCI) is a DRDO laboratory located in Hyderabad, Telangana. The lab is responsible for Research and Development of Missile Systems, Guided Weapons and advanced Avionics for Indian Armed Forces. It was established by APJ Ab ...

(RCI) is the lead integrator in this project. Similar foreign missiles of the same class include Dongfeng 12 (CSS-X-15),

Precision Strike Missile The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a tactical ballistic missile being developed by the United States Army to replace the ATACMS. Development In March 2016, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon announced they would offer a missile to meet ...

9K720 Iskander The 9K720 Iskander (russian: «Искандер»; NATO reporting name SS-26 Stone) is a mobile short-range ballistic missile system produced and deployed by the Russian military. The missile systems () are to replace the obsolete OTR-21 ''Toc ...

and Hyunmoo 2 missile. Powered by solid fuel rocket motor, the missile follows quasi-ballistic trajectory and able to perform mid-air maneuvers using

maneuverable reentry vehicle The maneuverable reentry vehicle (abbreviated MARV or MaRV) is a type of warhead for ballistic missiles that is capable of maneuvring and changing its trajectory. MaRV can be capable of autonomously tracking ground targets to make sure the mis ...

(MaRV) to defeat

anti-ballistic missile An anti-ballistic missile (ABM) is a surface-to-air missile designed to counter ballistic missiles (missile defense). Ballistic missiles are used to deliver nuclear weapon, nuclear, Chemical weapon, chemical, Bioagent, biological, or conventiona ...

(ABM) interceptors. Pralay uses the same

composite propellant Ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (APCP) is a solid-propellant rocket fuel. It differs from many traditional solid rocket propellants such as black powder or Solid-fuel rocket#Zinc–sulfur (ZS) propellants, zinc-sulfur, not only in chemi ...

developed by

High Energy Materials Research Laboratory High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) is a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Located in Pune, its main function is the research and development of technologies and products in the area of High En ...

(HEMRL) for

Sagarika Sagarika Mukherjee (born 4 September 1970), also known as Saag, is an Indian singer and actress. She sings mainly in Hindi, Assamese and Bengali language songs but has also sung in Tamil and Telugu languages. She is the daughter of singer ...

from

K Missile family The K family of missiles (K for 'Kalam'), is a family of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) developed by India to boost its second strike abilities and thus augment its nuclear deterrence. Information about this family of missiles ha ...

. The composite propellant is highly efficient and generates more energy compared to propellant used in

Agni missile The Agni missile (अग्नि IAST: Agni ''"Fire"'') is a family of Medium-range ballistic missile, medium to intercontinental ballistic missile, intercontinental range ballistic missiles developed by India, named after one of the Mahabhuta ...

series. Pralay carries 350 kg to 700 kg

high explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...

preformed fragmentation warhead, Penetration-Cum-Blast (PCB) and Runway Denial Penetration Submunition (RDPS) at a range of 150 km to 500 km. Pralay is designed to target radar and communication installations,

command and control Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... hatemploys human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or en ...

centers and advance airfields using conventional warhead. The system is road mobile and meets the

tactical ballistic missile A tactical ballistic missile (TBM), or battlefield range ballistic missile (BRBM), is a ballistic missile designed for short-range battlefield use. Typically, range (aeronautics), range is less than . Tactical ballistic missiles are usually ...

requirement of the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

. Pralay fills the gap of a conventionally armed ballistic missile that is not hampered by '

No First Use In nuclear ethics and deterrence theory, No first use (NFU) refers to a type of pledge or policy wherein a nuclear power formally refrains from the use of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in warfare, except for as a seco ...

' nuclear policy.

Testing

First trial

On 22 December 2021, DRDO conducted the maiden test of Pralay from

Abdul Kalam Island __NOTOC__ Dr. Abdul Kalam Island, formerly known as Wheeler Island, is an island off the coast of Odisha, India, approximately east of the state capital Bhubaneswar. The island was originally named after English commandant Lieutenant Hugh Whee ...

. The missile followed quasi ballistic trajectory reaching the designated target at 400 km with high degree of accuracy, validating controls, guidance system and mission algorithms.

Second trial

On 23 December 2021, DRDO conducted another test of Pralay from

. The test was conducted using heavier payload to check the lethality and accuracy of the weapon. Pralay covered the maximum range of 500 km and was monitored by range sensors and instruments, including telemetry, radar and electro-optic tracking system deployed across the eastern coast and the downrange ships positioned near the impact point.

Induction

The development phase of Pralay began in 2015 and took four years to test the required technologies. DRDO will conduct four test flights before the missile being commissioned. According to analysts, development of Pralay achieved an important milestone for India's future Rocket Force. In view of

2020–2021 China–India skirmishes Beginning on 5 May 2020, People's Liberation Army, Chinese and Indian Army, Indian troops engaged in aggressive melee, face-offs, and skirmishes at locations along the Sino-Indian border, including near the disputed Pangong Lake in Ladakh and ...

, Indian Armed Forces in December 2022 moved proposal for acquisition of Pralay missile. On 25 December 2022,

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

(MoD) cleared the order for 120 missiles.

References

{{Indian missiles Short-range ballistic missiles Ballistic missiles of India Defence Research and Development Organisation

External links

Technical:
DRDO Technology Focus : Warhead for Missiles, Torpedoes and Rockets