India has successfully test-fired its indigenously developed Pralay quasi-ballistic missile off the coast of Odisha, completing user evaluation trials and moving the weapon closer to induction into the armed forces. The Defence Research and Development Organisation conducted the flight test on Thursday, 5 November, and the Defence Ministry announced the result on Friday.

The test

The missile was launched at 11.10am from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. Data recorded by range instruments deployed by the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur confirmed that all stipulated objectives had been achieved, the ministry said. The test was conducted in the presence of senior DRDO officials, industry representatives and members of the armed forces as part of user evaluation trials.

What Pralay is

Pralay is a short-range, surface-to-surface quasi-ballistic missile developed indigenously by the Research Centre Imarat in Hyderabad, along with other DRDO laboratories. Bharat Dynamics Limited, one of the development-cum-production partners, has produced the system. The missile has a strike range of 150 to 500 kilometres and can carry conventional warheads weighing 500 to 1,000 kilograms.

Induction now imminent

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the armed forces and industry partners on the achievement, saying the test had met all its objectives as validated by the range data. The Defence Ministry said the successful completion of the evaluation process brings the missile system closer to induction, adding that its induction has become imminent. The ministry did not give a specific timeline for formal induction or details of planned operational deployment.