India test-fires Iskander-like tactical ballistic missile
India on Tuesday successfully fired a domestically designed surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile, which was developed for deployment along its borders with China and Pakistan.
The missile, called ‘Pralay’ (‘apocalypse’ in Hindi), was fired from Abdul Kalam Island in the eastern state of Odisha, the PTI news agency reported, citing defense officials.
The Pralay missile has a range of 150-500km and a payload capacity of 500-1,000kg. It was developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), a wing of the Defense Ministry, in view of India’s requirements along its borders, the report noted.
During Thursday’s test flight, the missile met all its objectives and its trajectory was tracked along the coastline, the official told PTI. He compared it with Russia’s Iskander tactical ballistic missile, which has been actively used in the Ukraine conflict, as well as the Dong Feng-12 (DF-12) missile. Pakistan also has tactical ballistic missiles in its defense system, the report noted.
The Pralay is a quasi-ballistic missile developed to defeat interceptor missiles. It has the ability to change course after covering a certain range midair and can be deployed from a mobile launcher.
The maiden tests of the Pralay missile, which the DRDO had been developing since 2015, were conducted in December 2021. The Indian defense minister stated that the missile is powered with a solid propellant rocket motor while its guidance system includes a state-of-the-art navigation system and integrated avionics.
In September, India’s Defense Ministry approved the procurement of these missiles during a Defense Acquisition Council meeting. “The proposal to acquire a regiment of Pralay ballistic missiles which can hit targets between 150-500km [away], was cleared by the recent Defense Acquisition Council meeting,” an official was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. He noted that the missile’s range can be “extended significantly” if required by the military.
According to media reports, the Indian Army would deploy the missiles with conventional warheads and use them in tactical roles. Experts earlier noted that the Pralay, along with the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia, will form the crux of India’s planned Integrated Rocket Force (IRF), aimed for non-contact conventional warfare. The proposal to set up the IRF to mainly counter China’s rapidly expanding missile and nuclear forces was first revealed in 2021 by late Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat.
