Mumbai, India (CU)_ According to the defence ministry, India successfully tested the indigenously built surface-to-surface missile Pralay on Thursday. It was the second test of the conventional missile in two days. The missile was tested by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) from the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. The missile’s range is between 150 and 500 kilometers, based on the payload, and it can be fired from a mobile launcher.
A statement from the ministry said, “In Thursday’s launch, the missile was tested for heavier payload and different range to prove the precision and lethality of the weapon”. The launch was tracked using a variety of range sensors and devices, such as telemetry, radar, and electro-optic tracking systems installed along the eastern shore of the country, as well as ships stationed near the impact point.
According to the ministry reports, the flight test accomplished all mission goals. The twin flight tests were performed a few days after India conducted a test of an improved model of the Agni missile from the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island test base on December 18. As mentioned earlier, the present generation nuclear-capable ballistic missile, known as Agni P, has a maximum range of 2,000 kilometers and will bolster the strong deterrence capabilities of India. It is a canister-launched missile with a range of 1,000–2,000 kilometers.
Other Agni missile models produced and tested by DRDO include the 700-kilometer-range Agni-I, the 2,000-kilometer-range Agni-II, the 3,000-kilometer-range Agni-III, the 4,000-kilometer-range Agni-IV, and the 5,000-kilometer-range Agni-V missiles. The Agni P test was conducted less than a week following India’s successful test of a new indigenously built anti-tank missile followed by a series of tests of domestic developed extended range rockets, which would be incorporated into the defense services in the near future. On December 11, the helicopter-launched stand-off anti-tank (SANT) missile and the Pinaka extended range (ER) rocket systems were successfully tested. SANT has a 10-kilometer range.
