India’s military capabilities have advanced significantly with the Pralay Short-Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM), which is intended to improve operational effectiveness and deterrence on the battlefield. It is categorized as a tactical quasi-ballistic missile that was created by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). It can carry a variety of warheads and carry out accurate strikes against valuable targets. The missile combines technology from the Prahaar tactical missile and the Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Program’s Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV), an exo-atmospheric interceptor missile.
The Pralay missile is adaptable for battlefield deployment because it can be launched from mobile platforms and has a range of 150 to 500 kilometers.
Its payload capacity ranges from 350 kg to 700 kg, enabling the use of various warhead types suited to particular mission needs.
For Sagarika from the K Missile family, Pralay uses the same composite propellant that was created by the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL). Compared to the propellant used in the Agni missile series, the composite propellant is more energy-efficient and produces more. The 1.2m Trisonic Wind Tunnel Facility at the National Aerospace Laboratories served as the site for the aerodynamic characterization study.
The Pralay missile can carry a variety of warheads with a mass of 350–700 kg, such as Runway Denial Penetration Submunition (RDPS) with a range of 150–500 km and high explosive fragmentation and penetration-cum-blast types. Compared to conventional ballistic missiles, its design makes it less predictable because it can follow a quasi-ballistic trajectory. Pralay is made to use a conventional warhead to target command and control centers, radar and communication installations, and advance airfields. The system is road mobile and satisfies the Indian Army’s tactical ballistic missile requirements. With its conventional armaments and unrestricted by the ‘No First Use’ nuclear policy, Pralay fills the void.
The Pralay missile can perform evasive maneuvers during its terminal phase thanks to its thrust vector control system, which uses jet vanes. This improves the missile’s ability to avoid being intercepted by enemy air defenses. Its ability to use decoys to divert and perplex these defenses further boosts its effectiveness and survivability in defensive scenarios. Targeting important enemy installations with high accuracy is made possible by the missile’s sophisticated navigation system and integrated avionics package.
