- DRDO successfully concludes dual-user evaluation trials of Pralay tactical missile system, paving the way for induction into service
India marked a significant milestone in its evolving conventional deterrence posture with the successful completion of back-to-back flight tests of the Pralay tactical ballistic missile on July 28 and 29, 2025. Conducted at Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha, the trials concluded the final phase of user evaluation, validating both the missile’s minimum and maximum range capabilities under operational conditions. According to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), both tests followed intended quasi-ballistic trajectories and struck their designated targets with a high degree of accuracy.
With the conclusion of these evaluations, Pralay is now poised for full induction into the Indian Armed Forces, symbolizing not only a technological achievement but also a strategic realignment in India’s military doctrine toward rapid-response, non-nuclear deterrence.
The Pralay missile project was greenlit in March 2015, with an initial budget of ₹332.88 crore (approximately ₹502 crore or $59 million in 2023 terms). Its primary objective was to develop a conventionally armed, mobile, and high-precision battlefield missile that could respond quickly to localized threats and provocations along India’s volatile borders with China and Pakistan.
Developed by the DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI), the missile integrates proven technologies from earlier platforms such as the Prahaar short-range missile and Prithvi Defence Vehicle systems. One of the most distinctive features of Pralay is its solid-fuel rocket motor and maneuverable re-entry vehicle (MaRV), allowing for high-speed terminal maneuvers and significantly reducing interception chances.
National Aerospace Laboratories played a key role by validating aerodynamic designs in its 1.2-meter trisonic wind tunnel, while the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory developed the high-energy composite propellant—similar to that used in the submarine-launched Sagarika missile from the K-series family, but more energetic than propellants used in the Agni series.
The missile has gone through a rigorous testing regimen since its first successful flight on December 22, 2021, when it demonstrated precision at a range of 400 kilometers. A follow-up test the next day, on December 23, extended the strike range to 500 kilometers with a heavier payload.
A third significant trial was held on November 7, 2023, focusing on the missile’s guidance system, particularly its terminal navigation and control. The most recent tests on July 28 and 29, 2025, were conducted under “user-defined conditions” and included full-system validation by deploying tracking sensors, telemetry, and radar systems from the Integrated Test Range and naval platforms stationed in the Bay of Bengal.
DRDO confirmed that all mission objectives were achieved, paving the way for mass production and deployment.
Unlike India’s long-range ballistic missiles, which fall under the purview of the Strategic Forces Command and adhere to the country’s nuclear no-first-use doctrine, Pralay has been explicitly designed for conventional tactical operations. It is intended for battlefield use, especially in response to high-intensity but localized conflicts, border incursions, or strategic infrastructure threats.
It forms part of India’s effort to build a credible non-nuclear strike capability, akin to China’s DF-12 or Pakistan’s Nasr tactical missile systems. By doing so, India aims to enhance deterrence at sub-nuclear levels, addressing operational voids between artillery systems and nuclear-capable long-range missiles.
The Pralay missile is a solid-fuel, road-mobile, canisterized surface-to-surface system with a two-stage rocket motor and a maneuverable re-entry vehicle (MaRV).
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Length: 7.5 to 11 meters
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Diameter: ~750 mm
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Launch Weight: ~5 tonnes
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Range: 150 km (with 1,000 kg payload) to 500 km (with 350 kg payload)
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Payload Types: High-explosive fragmentation, Penetration-cum-Blast (PCB), Runway Denial Penetration Submunition (RDPS)
The missile employs Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) for mid-course guidance and Digital Scene-Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) and radar imaging for terminal accuracy. Its Circular Error Probable (CEP) is under 10 meters, with ongoing efforts to reduce it to below 4 meters—a remarkable level of accuracy for a ballistic missile.
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Jet vane thrust vectoring for in-flight maneuverability
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Mach 6.1 terminal velocity
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Fused silica radome for seeker protection
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Low radar cross-section design via external aerodynamic fins
The missile will be launched from a twin-canister Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) mounted on an Ashok Leyland 12×12 high-mobility chassis—a significant departure from earlier Czech Tatra-based systems.
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Articulated launcher arm
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Integrated command-and-communication suite
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Jet deflector
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Extendable mast for targeting
These enhancements allow a deployment-to-launch cycle under ten minutes and command-to-launch cycle under one minute, enabling fast, autonomous launches even under electronic warfare conditions.
In terms of procurement, the Indian Air Force received clearance in December 2022 for 120 missiles, and the Indian Army followed with a regiment-sized order of 250 missiles in September 2023. These deployments aim to reinforce India’s deterrence along both the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan.
India has also authorized a 300-km range, 500-kg payload export variant of Pralay to align with the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). Notably, Armenia is reportedly in advanced negotiations to procure this version, in line with its recent acquisitions of Indian Swathi radar systems and U.S.-made M982 Excalibur artillery shells.
This move positions India as a responsible yet assertive arms exporter, capable of providing advanced missile systems to allies without violating international norms.
Pralay is slated to become a cornerstone of India’s proposed Integrated Rocket Force (IRF)—a new service arm under consideration to centralize conventional missile assets like Pralay, BrahMos, Pinaka, and Nirbhay. The IRF would function independently of the Strategic Forces Command, which manages nuclear arsenals, and focus on non-nuclear, high-precision responses to localized threats.
Such an institution reflects India’s maturing deterrence philosophy: a multi-layered strategy that doesn’t escalate every engagement to a nuclear threshold. In this framework, Pralay offers a middle-tier solution, bridging the operational spectrum between tactical artillery and strategic nuclear missiles.
The successful conclusion of Pralay’s trials is part of a broader Indian missile development surge:
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On July 25, 2025, DRDO tested the ULPGM-V3, a precision-guided air-launched missile for UAV platforms.
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A Short-Range Air Defence (SHORAD) system was also trialed for countering low-altitude aerial threats.
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Extended range versions of Pinaka rocket systems have been approved for procurement.
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The Navy seeks new Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (VL-SRSAM) to improve shipborne defenses.
Simultaneously, India’s strategic capabilities continue to evolve:
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Trials of Agni-I and Prithvi-II confirmed nuclear and conventional deterrence.
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Under Project Vishnu, the ET-LDHCM hypersonic missile exceeded Mach 8, with a 1,500 km range.
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Development of the BM-04 boost-glide ballistic missile and extended-range Rudram-4 air-to-surface hypersonic missile is ongoing.
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The K-5 SLBM is reportedly complete, while the K-6 (8,000 km, MIRV) will arm future S-5-class nuclear submarines.
