NEW YORK, December 31, 2025, 14:29 ET
- India conducted a “salvo” launch of two indigenous Pralay missiles in quick succession off India’s east coast, the defence ministry said.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the test established the missile’s reliability; DRDO chief Samir V Kamat said it points to imminent induction.
- The trial comes as India pushes to field domestically built conventional strike systems amid regional security tensions.
India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Wednesday test-fired two indigenously developed Pralay missiles in quick succession off the coast of Odisha, in a user evaluation trial that officials said underscored the system’s readiness for service.
The test matters because user evaluation trials are a late-stage proving process, typically involving the military “users” who will operate the system, and are usually among the final steps before formal induction.
It also comes as India continues to strengthen its domestic weapons programme and expand conventional strike options, against the backdrop of long-running rivalry with Pakistan and persistent border tensions with China.
The Defence Ministry said the launches were conducted at about 10:30 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, and both missiles “followed the intended trajectory” and met all flight objectives. Tracking sensors confirmed performance, and telemetry systems onboard a ship deployed near the impact points confirmed the terminal events. (Indiatimes)
A “salvo launch” refers to firing multiple missiles in rapid succession. The ministry said both Pralay missiles were fired from the same launcher, a step intended to demonstrate operational reliability under near-field conditions.
Pralay is a solid-fuel, “quasi-ballistic” missile, the ministry said. Quasi-ballistic generally describes a missile that flies on a lower trajectory than a classic ballistic missile and can manoeuvre during flight, features that can improve survivability and accuracy.
The ministry said the missile uses advanced guidance and navigation for precision and can carry multiple types of warheads against a range of targets.
The Pralay programme has been led by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat in Hyderabad, with support from other DRDO laboratories. The ministry said state-run Bharat Dynamics Ltd and Bharat Electronics Ltd served as the development-and-production partners and integrated the systems for the tests.
Senior DRDO scientists, Indian Air Force and Indian Army representatives, and industry officials were present during the trials, the ministry said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the DRDO, the armed forces, defence public sector undertakings — state-run defence firms — and industry partners for the successful salvo firing. “The successful completion of the salvo launch of the Pralay missile has established the reliability of the missile,” he said. (Gov)
DRDO Chairman and Defence R&D Secretary Samir V. Kamat also congratulated the teams involved and said the achievement indicates the system’s “imminent readiness” for induction with users, the ministry added.
Indian media including NDTV reported the missiles were launched in quick succession as part of the user evaluation phase and met all flight objectives, citing the defence ministry. (Ndtv)
