New Delhi, Nov 2026 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday hailed the successful flight-test of India's indigenously developed Pralay missile, describing it as another significant milestone in strengthening the country's domestic defence capabilities.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the user evaluation trial of the missile at approximately 11:10 am on November 5, 2026, from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.
According to the DRDO, the trial successfully achieved all stipulated objectives. Data collected through various tracking and monitoring instruments at the test range confirmed the missile's performance during the flight.
Sharing the development on social media platform X, Singh said the successful test demonstrated the progress made in developing advanced defence systems within the country.
“DRDO successfully conducted the flight test of the indigenously developed Pralay Missile off the coast of Odisha today at 1110 hrs. The test was conducted as part of user evaluation trials and successfully met all the stipulated objectives, as validated by data captured through various range instruments,” he posted.
The Defence Minister added that the successful trial marked another important step towards strengthening India's indigenous defence capabilities.
The Pralay missile has been developed entirely in India by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, in collaboration with several other DRDO laboratories. Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), one of the project's key development-cum-production partners, is responsible for its manufacturing.
Senior DRDO officials, representatives of the defence industry and personnel from the Indian Armed Forces were present during the test. The successful completion of the user evaluation trial is expected to bring the missile closer to its induction into the Armed Forces.
Key Features of the Pralay Missile
Pralay is a short-range, canisterised, solid-propellant quasi-ballistic missile designed to provide the Indian Armed Forces with a highly mobile and precision-strike capability.
Unlike conventional ballistic missiles, which generally follow predictable flight trajectories, Pralay can operate at lower altitudes and manoeuvre during flight. This capability makes it more difficult for hostile air-defence systems to track and intercept.
The missile has an operational range of 150 km to 500 km, depending on the weight of its warhead. It can carry a payload of up to 1,000 kg over a distance of approximately 350 km. With a lighter 500 kg payload, it can strike targets at a maximum range of 500 km.
Designed for rapid deployment, Pralay is launched from a mobile canisterised launcher, providing operational flexibility and improving survivability during battlefield operations.
It uses advanced inertial navigation and guidance technologies to deliver precision strikes against high-value military targets. These include radar installations, command and control centres, airfields and other strategic defence infrastructure.
Boost to India's Indigenous Defence Capabilities
The Pralay programme is part of India's broader effort to expand its indigenous missile inventory and reduce dependence on imported defence equipment.
The missile is intended to provide the Armed Forces with a conventional precision-strike option to respond quickly to emerging security threats. Its mobility, manoeuvrability and strike capabilities are expected to strengthen India's battlefield preparedness and conventional deterrence.
The successful user evaluation trial represents an important step towards the missile's operational deployment.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
