Bhubaneswar: In a major boost to India’s strategic strike capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted two consecutive flight-tests of the indigenously developed Pralay missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast on July 28 and 29.
According to a Ministry of Defence press release, the tests were part of User Evaluation Trials aimed at validating the missile system’s operational envelope, including its minimum and maximum range capabilities. Both trials achieved all mission objectives, with the missiles accurately following the intended trajectory and striking the target point with high precision.
The trials were monitored by tracking sensors and data collection instruments deployed by the Integrated Test Range (ITR), including those stationed on a ship near the impact zone. All subsystems performed flawlessly, as confirmed by the data.
Pralay is a solid-propellant, quasi-ballistic missile designed for precision strikes. It features advanced guidance and navigation systems and can carry multiple types of conventional warheads for a variety of targets. The system has been developed by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories including DRDL, ASL, ARDE, HEMRL, DMRL, TBRL, R&DE(Engineers), and ITR, with support from industry partners such as Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), and various MSMEs.
The flight-tests were witnessed by senior DRDO scientists, representatives from the Indian Army and Indian Air Force, and industry partners.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the Armed Forces, and industry collaborators on the successful tests. He stated that Pralay will significantly enhance the Armed Forces’ capabilities to counter evolving threats.
Chairman of DRDO and Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, Dr Samir V. Kamat praised the teams involved, noting that the successful completion of this phase of flight trials marks a crucial step towards the missile’s induction into active service.
