Armed Forces To Have Long, Intermediate-Range Missiles In Its Inventory: Sources

A cannisterised NIRBHAY missile mounted on multi-axle missile carrier truck of the Indian Army

The Indian armed forces will be inducting the Nirbhay and Pralay missiles in a large number to create a comprehensive package of long-range and intermediate range missiles in its inventory

The Indian armed forces will be inducting the long-range attack cruise missile Nirbhay into their inventory to strike targets at ranges over 1,000 Km, highly placed sources informed India Today.

In addition, the Pralay missiles will also be produced on a large scale and are also expected to join the service in the near future, sources said.

This will create a comprehensive package of long-range and intermediate range missiles in the Indian inventory, sources added.

About the Nirbhay missile, while the central government approved the missiles for two defence services recently, a proposal has been sent by one of them to the government for inducting the Nirbhay missiles in significant numbers, sources said.

Nirbhay is a long-range missile and can neutralise enemy targets at a distance of 1,000 kilometres.

It can also form a deadly combination with the BrahMos missiles, which are one of the finest systems in its category.

Notably, the cruise missiles will be part of the rocket force which is being created by the Indian defence forces to deal with the threat perception across its frontiers.

Similar capabilities are available with the defence forces of Pakistan and China.

According to sources, the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force) may also get to choose from the existing fleet of ballistic missiles in the strategic forces for their use in conventional roles.

Pralay Missiles

Speaking on the production of Pralay missiles, a top defence official said that it will also be produced on a large-scale and is expected to be ready for operational service in the near future.

The Pralay missile was successfully tested twice on two consecutive days in December 2022 and the forces have been working towards its acquisition and induction ever since, he added.

Pralay, which has a range from 150 to 500 kilometres, is propelled by a solid-propellant rocket motor and other novel technologies.

“Pralay is a quasi-ballistic surface-to-surface missile. The advanced missile has been developed in a way to be able to defeat interceptor missiles. It has the ability to change its path after covering a certain range mid-air,” the top defence source said.