Pralay Missile

Why in news:

Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted two consecutive successful flight-tests of Pralay missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the coast of Odisha.

UPSC CSE Relevance:

UPSC CSE in prelims examination has focused on Defence sector in GSIII. A case in point is a following PYQ.

UPSC CSE PYQ 2014:

Q: With reference to Agni-IV Missile, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It is a surface-to-surface missile.
2. It is fuelled by liquid propellant only.
3. It can deliver one-tonne nuclear warheads about 7500 km away.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
A 1 only
B 2 and 3 only
C 1 and 3 only
D 1, 2 and 3

Important facts about Pralay:

• Indigenously-developed 
• Solid propellant
• Quasi-ballistic – will be the first ballistic missile in India’s missile arsenal meant for conventional strikes. [Quasi ballistic – because of its low altitude trajectory and maneuverability unlike conventional ballistic missiles.]
• Surface-to-surface missile
• Range of 400 Km
• Employing state-of-the-art guidance and navigation to ensure high precision.
• Capable of carrying multiple types of warheads against various targets. 
• Developed by Research Centre Imarat in collaboration with other DRDO labs  and industry partners – Bharat Dynamics Limited & Bharat Electronics Limited and many other industries and MSMEs.
• Pralay adds to the BrahMos and Parahar missiles already in the inventory giving the Indian military an option for standoff missile strikes across the border.
• Comparable with China’s Dong Feng-12, Russian 9K720 Iskander, US Army’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) and South Korea’s Hyunmoo-2, Pralay is designed to deceive anti-ballistic missile interceptors.

Aspect	Cruise Missiles	Ballistic Missiles
Flight Path	Remain within the Earth’s atmosphere, fly at low altitudes	Arched trajectory: boost, midcourse (may exit atmosphere), and terminal phases.
Propulsion	Powered by jet engines (air-breathing) throughout their flight	Powered by rockets only during initial phase
Maneuverability	Guided and maneuverable throughout flight; high precision.	Guidance only during early (boost) phase; follow ballistic (pre-set) path
Speed	Usually subsonic or supersonic	Fast: supersonic or hypersonic, especially intercontinental missiles
Detectability	Hard to detect (low altitude, can evade radar)	Easier to detect (visible during boost; high radar/infrared cross-section)
Payload	Typically single, smaller warheads	Capable of carrying larger, multiple warheads (including nuclear)
Targeting	Used for tactical, precise strikes on specific targets	Used for strategic, long-range mass destruction; cities, major assets
Examples (India)	BrahMos, Nirbhay	Agni series, Prithvi series, K-series

Practice Question:

Question: Consider the following statements about Pralay Missile

1. It is air-to-surface missile.
2. It will be the first ballistic missile in India’s missile arsenal meant for conventional strikes.
3. It has 4000km range with Solid propellant fuel.

How many of the above statements is/are incorrect?

a) only one

b) only two

c) all three

d) None of the above

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