India developing new Pranash ballistic missile with 200-km strike range

Representational Image

New Delhi: In order to enhance the firepower of Army and Air Force and to upgrade precision strike capabilities, India is working on 'Pranash' ballistic missile which will be capable of striking targets at a range of 200km. The new tactical ballistic missile is an advanced version of the 150-km strike range Prahar missile. Prahar was a replacement of Prithvi ballistic missiles.

As per a Defence official, "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." 

The trials of the missile would be conducted in next couple of years 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.

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.

'Pranash' older version 'Prahaar' was test-fired successfully on 21 July 2011 from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur. During the test, the missile travelled a distance of 150 km (93 mi) in about 250 seconds. It was made to fill the gap between the 90 km-range of the Smerch multi-barrel rocket launchers and guided missiles like `Prithvi`, which can strike at 250 km to 350 km range.

(With ANI input)