DRDO successfully test-fires two Pralay missiles in rapid salvo off Odisha coast
New Delhi. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on December 31 successfully carried out a rapid salvo launch of two indigenously developed Pralay missiles from the same launcher off the coast of Odisha, marking a key milestone in user evaluation trials of the weapon system.
The two missiles were fired in quick succession around 10:30 am from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur. According to the Ministry of Defence, both missiles followed their intended trajectories and met all mission objectives. Their performance was tracked by a network of sensors and telemetry systems, including those deployed onboard ships positioned near the designated impact areas.
Pralay is a solid-propellant, quasi-ballistic missile equipped with advanced guidance and navigation systems designed to deliver high-precision strikes. The missile can be fitted with different types of warheads to engage a range of targets, giving the armed forces a flexible conventional strike option.
The system has been developed by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat in Hyderabad along with several other DRDO laboratories, with Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited acting as the development-cum-production partners. The two defence public sector units also integrated the missiles for the latest tests.
Senior scientists from DRDO, representatives of the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army, and industry partners witnessed the trials.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the armed forces and industry for the successful back-to-back launches, saying the salvo firing had demonstrated the reliability of the Pralay missile system.
DRDO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, Samir V Kamat, said the successful trials indicated that the missile system was nearing readiness for induction into the services.
