India completes tests of Pralay ballistic missiles clearing final step toward mass production.

On July 29, 2025, the Indian Ministry of Defence confirmed that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had carried out two consecutive flight tests of the Pralay surface-to-surface missile on July 28 and 29 from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off the Odisha coast. These tests were part of User Evaluation Trials intended to validate the missile’s minimum and maximum range performance.
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The Pralay ballistic missile’s maximum range is estimated at 500 kilometers when carrying lighter warheads, while its terminal velocity reaches up to Mach 6.1, rendering it hypersonic. (Picture source: Indian MoD)

Both missiles followed their intended quasi-ballistic trajectories and impacted their designated targets with a high degree of accuracy. DRDO stated that all subsystems functioned according to technical expectations and that test data were gathered using instruments positioned on land and aboard ships stationed near the impact points. Senior DRDO scientists, representatives of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force, and industry officials were present during the trials. The successful conclusion of this testing phase marked the end of Phase-1 trials and cleared the way for the missile's induction into service.

The Pralay missile project was initiated in March 2015 with a budget of ₹332.88 crore, equivalent to approximately ₹502 crore or $59 million in 2023. Developed by the DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI), the missile program integrates technologies from India’s earlier Prithvi Defence Vehicle and Prahaar tactical missile systems. Its composite propellant, created by the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, is the same as that used in the Sagarika submarine-launched missile from the K-family and offers greater energy output than the Agni series propellant. National Aerospace Laboratories provided aerodynamic validation using its 1.2-meter trisonic wind tunnel. The missile project was launched to fill the operational requirement for a conventionally armed ballistic missile that could be deployed for tactical missions and is not constrained by India’s nuclear no-first-use doctrine. It is designed for battlefield use and is part of India’s shift toward strengthening non-nuclear conventional deterrence capabilities.

The Pralay missile has undergone a series of developmental and user trials since 2021. The maiden test occurred on December 22, 2021, and demonstrated the missile’s ability to strike targets at 400 kilometers with accuracy. A second test followed on December 23, 2021, during which the missile carried a heavier payload and reached its maximum range of 500 kilometers. A third test was conducted on November 7, 2023, to confirm terminal guidance and control systems. The most recent trials conducted on July 28 and 29, 2025, focused on validating the missile’s full operational range spectrum under user-defined conditions. DRDO reported that all test objectives were achieved. Tracking sensors and instruments from the Integrated Test Range, along with systems on ships positioned in the Bay of Bengal, collected technical data to assess trajectory, subsystem performance, and impact accuracy. These trials verified both minimum and maximum range capabilities and confirmed the missile's readiness for operational deployment.

Procurement of the Pralay missile has been approved for both the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army. In December 2022, the Ministry of Defence cleared an order for 120 missiles for the Indian Air Force. In September 2023, a regiment-sized order of 250 missiles was approved for the Indian Army. These acquisitions are intended to strengthen India’s conventional strike capabilities along the Line of Control with Pakistan and the Line of Actual Control with China. The missile system is launched from a twin-canister Transporter Erector Launcher mounted on an Ashok Leyland 12x12 high-mobility vehicle. This configuration replaces the earlier Czech-made Tatra launchers and includes a launcher arm articulation system, integrated communications suite, extendable mast, and jet deflector. The road-mobile launcher allows for quick repositioning and launch preparation, with deployment-to-launch timelines under ten minutes and command-to-launch timelines under one minute. In addition to domestic use, India has authorized the export of the Pralay missile, with a version limited to a 300-kilometer range and 500-kilogram payload to meet Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) criteria. Armenia is reportedly in advanced negotiations to procure the export variant, following earlier arms deals that included Swathi radars and M982 Excalibur shells.

The Pralay missile is a solid-fuel, canisterized quasi-ballistic surface-to-surface missile with a two-stage rocket motor and a terminal phase maneuverable re-entry vehicle (MaRV). It has a launch weight of approximately five tonnes, a length of over 7.5 to 11 meters, and a diameter of up to 750 millimeters. The missile is capable of delivering a range of conventional warheads, including high-explosive preformed fragmentation types, penetration-cum-blast (PCB), and Runway Denial Penetration Submunition (RDPS). Payload capacity ranges from 350 to 1,000 kilograms, depending on mission profile, and range varies from 150 kilometers with maximum payload to 500 kilometers with reduced warhead weight. The missile is designed to destroy radar installations, communication hubs, command and control centers, and airfields. Its quasi-ballistic trajectory, combined with the ability to perform mid-course and terminal maneuvers, enhances its survivability against enemy missile defense systems.

The Pralay missile is equipped with multiple advanced guidance systems. Mid-course guidance is handled by an Inertial Navigation System (INS), while terminal phase guidance is assisted by radar imaging and a Digital Scene-Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) seeker. The missile has a Circular Error Probable (CEP) of under 10 meters, with additional efforts underway to reduce this figure to below 4 meters. A fused silica radome houses the seeker, and jet vane thrust vectoring enables high-precision in-flight course correction. External aerodynamic fins reduce radar cross-section and support trajectory stability. The missile’s terminal speed can reach Mach 6.1. These features allow the missile to evade tracking and interception systems through altitude oscillations and sudden directional changes. Designed to be deployed in conventional strike roles, the system is optimized for fast launch cycles, autonomous operation, and integration with existing command structures. All components are domestically produced and integrated through partnerships with DRDO laboratories and industrial partners, including Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited.

Pralay is part of India’s broader expansion of its tactical missile inventory. Alongside systems such as BrahMos, Nirbhay, and Pinaka, Pralay is one of the core assets to be included in the planned Integrated Rocket Force (IRF). The IRF is expected to be established as a conventional missile command distinct from the Strategic Forces Command, which handles nuclear delivery systems. The formation of this new command reflects India’s objective of enhancing its layered deterrence architecture through non-nuclear, high-precision strike capabilities. Pralay’s characteristics allow it to complement cruise missiles and artillery rocket systems while offering a faster, more accurate, and harder-to-intercept alternative. The IRF will manage the deployment, targeting, and logistics of these systems and serve as a key instrument for responding to limited conflicts or conventional provocations near the country’s borders. The inclusion of Pralay into the IRF would enable rapid, target-specific responses without resorting to strategic or nuclear options along contested borders with Pakistan and China.

In addition to the Pralay trials, India is currently conducting several programmes to develop or purchase other missiles, covering areas such as UAV-launched precision weapons, shipborne air defence systems, hypersonic glide vehicles, short- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, and submarine-launched nuclear platforms. On July 25, 2025, DRDO successfully flight-tested the upgraded ULPGM-V3 precision-guided missile, launched from a UAV and designed for varied terrain and day-night operations, offering anti-armor, bunker-penetrating, and fragmentation warhead options. DRDO also conducted a test of a mobile Short-Range Air Defence (SHORAD) missile in Karnataka, aimed at intercepting low-flying aerial threats. The Ministry of Defence approved further procurement of Extended Range Pinaka launchers, and the Indian Navy issued an RFP for Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (VL-SRSAM) to bolster ship-borne air defenses.

Simultaneously, India carried out operational trials of its Agni-I and Prithvi-II ballistic missiles on July 17 and 18, validating nuclear and conventional deterrent capabilities. DRDO also tested the Extended Trajectory Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ET-LDHCM) under Project Vishnu, achieving speeds above Mach 8 and a 1,500 km range, supported by prior successful ground trials of scramjet propulsion and thermal protection. Other developments include the BM-04 ballistic missile using boost-glide hypersonic technology and expansion of the Rudram air-to-surface missile family with ongoing trials of Rudram-2 and the 1,500 km-range hypersonic Rudram-4. Concurrently, India’s K-series submarine-launched ballistic missiles have advanced, with the K-5 SLBM (5,000–6,000 km, MIRV-capable) reportedly developmentally complete and the K-6 (8,000 km, MIRV, Mach 7+) expected to equip future S-5 class submarines.