Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Defence
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Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the successful flight test of the quasi-ballistic missile ‘Pralay’ from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
- Pralay – It is an indigenously developed, canisterised, surface-to-surface quasi-ballistic short-range ballistic missile (SRBM).
- Developed by – Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, along with other DRDO laboratories.
- Development-cum-Production-Partner – Bharat Dynamics Limited.
- Operational Range – 150 km to 500 km.
- Payload capacity – 500-1,000 kg (conventional/non-nuclear warheads like HEPF, PCB, RDPS)
- Speed – Up to Mach 6.1.
- Propulsion – Solid-fuel rocket motor (two-stage / solid propellant).
- Launch Platform – Road-mobile canisterised system (high-mobility vehicle).
- Quasi-Ballistic Trajectory – Unlike traditional ballistic missiles that follow high, predictable parabolic arcs, Pralay flies on a flatter, lower-altitude trajectory and can perform mid-course and terminal manoeuvres.
- This makes it significantly harder for enemy air defence and anti-ballistic missile systems to track and intercept.
- Tactical Focus – It is designed to destroy high-value battlefield assets such as enemy command and control centres, tactical airfields, missile launchers, and radar installations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LoC).
Reference
PIB | DRDO conducts successful flight-test of quasi-ballistic missile ‘Pralay’
