India successfully test-fired its new surface-to-surface short-range tactical ballistic missile (SRBM), Pralay, marking a significant step in the evolution of its missile capabilities and overall deterrence strategy. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Pralay is part of India’s drive to strengthen its credible missile forces amid mounting regional security pressures, particularly those arising from its borders with China and Pakistan.
Pralay employs a solid propellant rocket engine and features advanced guidance technology. Official DRDO statements confirm its cannisterised, road-mobile launch platform, underscoring rapid deployment capabilities and improved survivability on the battlefield. Pralay is designed to strike targets at ranges up to 500km, expanding India’s conventional stand-off strike capabilities.
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Notably, during its test campaign, Pralay was launched on a quasi-ballistic trajectory—a flight path that enhances its ability to evade missile defence systems by reducing the predictability of its re-entry profile.
A particularly important dimension of Pralay’s development is its connection to India’s K-series submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). Its reliance on mature subsystems drawn from the K-15 and K-4 SLBMs is expected to reduce its unit costs and support a faster induction timeline.
The K-15, with a 700km range, is already fielded on the Indian Navy’s Arihant-class nuclear-powered submarines. The K-4, with a reported 3,500km reach, is anticipated to become a cornerstone of India’s sea-based nuclear deterrent, providing coverage of targets well inside Pakistani and Chinese territory from the relative safety of Indian or international waters.
Pralay’s rapid development and testing pace point to an intent to signal both capability and readiness in the context of growing security competition with China. Since the 2020 border clashes, both India and China have significantly militarised their contested frontiers, deploying tens of thousands of troops and advanced weapon systems, including stand-off missiles and rocket artillery.
While China continues to field a diverse range of conventional ground-launched missiles through its own Rocket Force, India’s principal conventionally armed system until now was the BrahMos cruise missile.
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Pralay is therefore positioned to fill a notable gap in India’s arsenal—a ground-launched, conventionally armed, short-range ballistic missile capable of deterring adversaries with the threat of prompt, precision strikes deep behind enemy lines.
This context also aligns with ambitions voiced by India’s late Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, who suggested the country could benefit from the establishment of an independent Rocket Force.
Such a branch would mirror China’s own integrated approach to missile deployments and potentially consolidate systems, personnel, and support currently spread across India’s three military services. Should Pralay enter service with the Indian Army—rather than India’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC), which controls nuclear-capable systems—it could become India’s first conventional ballistic missile under field army control.
Official announcements have emphasised that Pralay is intended solely for conventional missions, sidestepping the risks of nuclear ambiguity that have plagued dual-capable systems like Agni-I and Agni-II. Those earlier missiles, once considered for conventional strike roles, were reassigned exclusively for nuclear delivery to reduce the risk of wartime miscalculation or inadvertent escalation.
Despite the operational advantages Pralay offers, its deployment also introduces complexities. Since its use would be free from the nuclear-use thresholds governing SFC assets, adversaries may perceive Pralay as more “usable” in a conventional conflict.
This distinction could cause China and Pakistan to adjust their doctrines and force postures in response, potentially fuelling action-reaction dynamics that could heighten regional tensions and instability. To manage such risks, it is crucial that India maintain clear lines between its conventional and nuclear missile commands.
The July 2025 tests of Pralay represent both a technological milestone and the opening of a new chapter in India’s conventional deterrence toolkit. The missile’s strategic relevance is heightened by its cost-effective production, modular design, and its ability to be fielded in number—all characteristics that enhance India’s capability to credibly threaten a broader array of targets without crossing nuclear thresholds.
However, the integration of such a system also demands careful command-and-control arrangements to avoid exacerbating regional insecurities or sparking an unintended escalation during crises.
IDN (With Agency Inputs)
Agency
