Why Moscow’s Experts Are Calling India’s ‘Pralay’ Missile a Nightmare for Enemy Radars?

It is not every day that a Russian military analyst—usually accustomed to boasting about their own S-400s and Iskanders—stops to applaud Indian technology. But that is exactly what happened this week.

Following the successful trials of India’s indigenous ‘Pralay’ Tactical Ballistic Missile by the DRDO, renowned Russian military expert Evgeny Damantsev has issued a glowing assessment of the weapon system. His verdict? The Pralay is a “quasi-ballistic” beast capable of performing hypersonic maneuvers that can leave modern air defence systems chasing shadows.

The ‘Double-Tap’ Threat

Damantsev’s analysis, which comes on the heels of the missile’s operational readiness tests off the coast of Odisha, highlights a specific, terrifying capability: the Salvo Launch.

In simple terms, a single mobile launcher can fire two Pralay missiles in quick succession. This isn’t just for show; it is a tactical masterstroke designed to “saturate” enemy defences. By the time an enemy interception system locks onto the first missile, the second one is already knocking on the door, making it nearly impossible to stop both.

Dancing in the Sky: The Hypersonic Edge

What makes ‘Pralay’ truly special, according to the Russian analysis, is that it refuses to fly in a predictable arc like old-school ballistic missiles. It occupies a lethal sweet spot between a standard missile and a hypersonic weapon.

• The Speed: During its boost phase, the missile screams through the sky at nearly 6,480 km/h.
• The Trick: Mid-flight, it can perform controlled deviations—essentially “changing lanes” in the sky to confuse enemy radars.
• The Death Dive: The most dangerous part is the terminal phase. Damantsev notes that as the missile approaches its target, it performs a sharp “pull-up” maneuver before diving at a 90-degree angle. Descending at speeds between Mach 3 and Mach 4, this vertical attack drastically reduces the reaction time for point-defence interceptors.

Hunting the Hunters

The Pralay isn’t just designed to hit static bunkers; it is a hunter of high-value assets. Equipped with a sophisticated navigation suite (Inertial Navigation + GPS), the missile can potentially be fitted with active/passive homing heads. This means it could track and destroy mobile targets—specifically the very radar systems and missile batteries meant to stop it.

A Strategic Game-Changer

The missile offers immense flexibility to the Indian armed forces, capable of carrying warheads ranging from 350 kg to 1,000 kg. This allows commanders to trade range for power depending on the mission profile.

For India, the ‘Pralay’ represents a quantum leap in indigenous defence capabilities. When experts from a missile superpower like Russia acknowledge your tech as a formidable threat to modern air defences, you know you have built something world-class.

As Damantsev put it, the missile’s unique flight profile puts “immense pressure” on defensive shields. For India’s adversaries, that pressure is about to become a very real problem.