Prahaar (missile)

Prahaar ("Strike") is an Indian solid-fuel road-mobile tactical ballistic missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Prahaar is expected to replace the Prithvi-I short-range ballistic missile in Indian service.[7]

Prahaar
Prahaar missile launched from a Road Mobile System
TypeTactical ballistic missile
Place of originIndia
Production history
ManufacturerBharat Dynamics Limited
Defence Research and Development Organisation
Specifications
Mass1,280 kg (2,820 lb)
Length7.32 m (24 ft 0 in)
Diameter0.42 m (1 ft 5 in)
WarheadHigh explosives, cluster munition, strategic nuclear weapon[1]
Warhead weight200-500 kg[2]
EngineSingle-stage rocket motor
PropellantSolid fuel
Operational
range
  • 150 km (93 mi) (Prahaar)
  • 170 km (110 mi) (Pragati)
  • 200 km (120 mi) (Pranash)[3]
Flight altitude35 km (22 mi)
Maximum speed Mach 3
Guidance
system
Mid-course: Fibre-optic gyro inertial navigation system. Augmented by GPS/NavIC satellite guidance
Terminal: Active radar homing[4]
Accuracy10 m (33 ft) CEP[5]
Launch
platform
Tatra-BEML/Tata transporter erector launcher[6]

Design
Mobile truck-based launcher for Prahaar

Prahaar is developed to provide a cost-effective, quick-reaction, all-weather, all-terrain, highly accurate battlefield support tactical weapon system. The development of the missile was carried out by the DRDO scientists in a span of less than two years.[8] The maneuvering capability, greater acceleration, better accuracy and faster deployment fills the short-range tactical battlefield role as required by the Indian Army to take out strategic and tactical targets. The mobile launch platform will carry six missiles that can be deployed in stand-alone and canisterised mode, which can have different kind of warheads meant for different targets and can be fired in salvo mode in all directions covering the entire azimuth plane.[9]

This solid-fueled missile can be launched within 2–3 minutes[10] without any preparation, providing significantly better reaction time than liquid-fueled Prithvi ballistic missiles and act as a gap filler in the 150 km (93 mi) range, between the Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher and Smerch MBRL in one end and the Prithvi ballistic missiles on the other.[3][11][12]

Testing

Prahaar was test-fired successfully on 21 July 2011 from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur.[13] During the test, the missile traveled a distance of 150 km (93 mi) in about 250 seconds[3] meeting all launch objectives and struck a pre-designated target in the Bay of Bengal with a high degree of accuracy of less than 10 m (33 ft).[8]

On 20 September 2018, Prahaar was test fired for the second time from ITR, Chandipur.[14]

Variant

Pragati

The export variant of the system is the Pragati surface to surface missile. It was unveiled for the first time by DRDO at ADEX 2013 in Seoul, South Korea.[15][16] Pragati has a higher range of 170 km and shares 95 percent of Prahaar's hardware components.[6]

Pranash

Due to limited 150 km (93 mi) range of Prahaar, the Indian Army wanted a new tactical ballistic missile with range of 200 km. The configuration of the new missile called Pranash has been frozen by DRDO with the developmental trials begin from 2021. It will be a non-nuclear powered by single-stage solid propellant which will be offered for user trials within two years time. India is looking for exporting the missile to friendly nations as it will come outside the purview of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) which restricts range above 300 km to be exported.[17]

See also

Comparable missile

References
  1. Isby, David (29 July 2013). "India's Prahaar missile to be tested by DRDO". IHS Jane's Missiles & Rockets. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013.
  2. CSIS. "Prahaar". Missile Threat. Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  3. "India successfully test-fires Prahaar missile". Hindustan Times. Press Trust of India. 21 July 2011. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  4. Richardson, Doug (1 March 2012). "DRDO parades its latest missiles in Delhi". IHS Jane's Missiles and Rockets. Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. 16 (3). ISSN 2048-3473.
  5. "Design Characteristics of India's Ballistic and Cruise Missiles" (PDF). Nuclear Threat Initiative. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 April 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  6. Hardy, James (28 October 2013). "ADEX 2013: DRDO shows off Pragati tactical ballistic missile". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 30 January 2014.
  7. "Prithvi missiles to be replaced by more-capable Prahar: DRDO". The Times of India. Press Trust of India. 1 July 2013. Archived from the original on 5 June 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  8. "DRDO Launches 'PRAHAAR' - Surface to Surface Tactical Missile". Press Information Bureau. 21 July 2011. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  9. "Prahaar missile test fired successfully: Know what's special about this indigenously developed weapon". The Financial Express. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  10. "New short-range missile test July-end". The Asian Age. India. 3 July 2011. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  11. Y. Mallikarjun (3 July 2011). "India all set to test new short-range tactical missile". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  12. "Prahaar Missile to be test-fired on Sunday". IBNLive. 17 July 2011. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  13. "Short-range 'Prahar' missile test successful". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  14. "India successfully test fires short-range tactical ballistic missile Prahaar". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  15. "India develops new surface-to-surface missile 'Pragati'". India Today. 29 October 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  16. Rout, Hemant Kumar (5 November 2014). "Tactical Missile Pragati Readied for Export". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  17. "India to develop 200-km range tactical ballistic missile". Hindustan Times. 6 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
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