In the latest upgrade to India’s military arsenal, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has started working on developing on a 200 km-strike range ballistic missile titled ‘Pranash’. The missile will be the latest addition to the firepower of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF), replacing the ‘Prahaar’ missile. The 150 km-strike range ballistic missile ‘Prahar’ was itself a replacement of the ‘Prithvi’ ballistic missile.

Highlights:

  • The missile is an advanced version of the 150-km strike range Prahar missile which was being developed for tactical missions
  • The surface-to-surface ballistic missile will be of use for the Air Force and Army.

According to a Defence official, the missile would be armed with conventional warheads. “The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has started working on the development of the 200-km strike range Pranash ballistic missile which would be armed with conventional warheads,” said the Defence official.

The single-stage solid-propellant missile would also be readied for exports to friendly foreign countries as its strike range is within the permissible limits of international regimes on missile sales.

On February 26, India had successfully test-fired two Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) from a test range along the Odisha coast. The missile was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in association with Bharat Electronics Limited and Bharat Dynamics Limited for the Indian Army is an indigenously developed all-weather weapon system has a strike range of 25 km to 30 km and designed to be a quick reaction missile capable of tracking and firing.

The older version of ‘Pranash’, titled ‘Prahaar’, was test-fired successfully on July 21, 2011, from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur.

The trials of the missile would be conducted and the single-stage solid-propellant missile would also be readied for exports to friendly foreign countries as its strike range is within the permissible limits of international regimes on missile sales.