New Delhi, October 29, 2025—The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved the ₹7,500 crore procurement of 250 Pralay short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) for the Indian Army’s Strike Corps, marking the first tactical quasi-ballistic weapon in India’s arsenal. Developed by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Pralay completed final user validation trials in Pokhran with 100% mission success, paving the way for limited series production (LSP) in 2026 and full operational clearance by Q4 2026.

This induction synergizes with the BrahMos-armed Su-30MKI deep strike and escalates the Agni-VI strategic deterrence ladder, creating a seamless conventional-to-nuclear response chain.

Pralay: The Tactical Quasi-Ballistic Edge

Pralay fills the 150–500 km strike gap between subsonic cruise missiles and Prithvi-II. Key specs:

• Range: 150–500 km (variable via fuel cut-off)
• Warhead: 500–1,000 kg (HE, submunitions, bunker-buster)
• Speed: Mach 6+ terminal phase
• CEP: < 10 m (INS + GPS + terrain contour matching)
• Launcher: 8×8 TATRA (2 missiles per TEL)
• Launch-to-Impact: 8–12 minutes
• Maneuverability: Mid-course + terminal evasion (anti-ABM)

RCI Director Dr. BHVS Narayana Murthy said, “Pralay is not a ballistic missile—it’s a precision strike weapon with cruise-like accuracy and ballistic speed.”

Pralay climbs vertically from TATRA TEL in Pokhran—Mach 6+ terminal dive confirmed (DRDO Photo)

Pokhran Trials: 100% Mission Success

Final user trials (Oct 20–28, 2025) included:

1. Minimum Range: 150 km hit on moving convoy sim
2. Maximum Range: 490 km strike on hardened bunker
3. Night Launch: GPS-denied, TERCOM-guided
4. Salvo Fire: 2 missiles, 30-sec interval, 8 m apart impact
5. Anti-Jamming: Nullified ECM with frequency-hopping seeker

The missile demonstrated terminal maneuverability to evade S-400-class defenses, achieving Mach 6.5 on re-entry.

Road-Mobile & Rapid Reaction

Pralay’s 8×8 TATRA TEL enables:

• Setup Time: < 8 minutes from march to fire
• Reload: 25 minutes with crane
• Survivability: Shoot-and-scoot in < 3 mins post-launch
• Deployment: Rail, road, or C-17 airlift (2 TELs per sortie)

This matches the Light Helicopter RfI’s rapid mobility doctrine.

Production: BDL + Private Sector Split

250-missile order split:

• Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL): 150 missiles (Hyderabad line)
• Tata Advanced Systems: 100 missiles (new Nagpur facility)
• Warhead: HEMRL Pune
• Propulsion: RCI Hyderabad

Annual capacity: 120 missiles by 2027. 90% indigenous content.

BDL Hyderabad: Pralay first-stage motor mating—Q1 2026 batch (BDL Photo)

Strike Corps Integration: 3 Regiments by 2028

Pralay will arm 3 missile regiments under:

• I Corps (Mathura): Pakistan front
• XXI Corps (Bhopal): Central reserve
• XVII Corps (Panagarh): China front

Each regiment: 12 TELs, 24 missiles, 1 command post.

BrahMos + Pralay: Dual Strike Doctrine

Pralay complements BrahMos:

• BrahMos: Subsonic, sea-skimming, anti-ship/land
• Pralay: Supersonic terminal, high-angle, hardened targets

Joint ops via IACCS enable saturation strikes—BrahMos suppresses air defence, Pralay destroys HQs.

Export Variant: Pralay-E in Pipeline

DRDO plans Pralay-E (400 km range, MTCR-compliant) for:

• Vietnam (South China Sea)
• Philippines (post-BrahMos)
• Indonesia (Natuna Islands)

First export by 2029 under $30,000 crore roadmap.

Strategic Impact: From Deterrence to Dominance

Pralay enables:

• Pre-emptive strikes on PAF bases in 8 mins
• Destruction of PLA bridges over Brahmaputra
• Counter-value targeting with submunition warheads

Conclusion

Pralay is not just a missile—it’s India’s tactical nuclear threshold weapon. With 250 units entering Strike Corps by 2026, this road-mobile, quasi-ballistic predator—paired with BrahMos—ensures that any aggression meets instant, overwhelming retaliation. From Pokhran’s deserts to the LAC’s ridges, Pralay redefines conventional deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

Stay sharp: We’ll cover the first live-fire salvo by I Corps in Mahajan, March 2026.