Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 5: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Thursday successfully conducted a flight test of its indigenously developed surface-to-surface Pralay missile off the Odisha coast, marking another significant achievement in strengthening India's defence capabilities.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the successful test, which was conducted at 11.10 am as part of user evaluation trials.
"DRDO successfully conducted the flight test of the indigenously developed Pralay Missile off the coast of Odisha today at 1110 hrs," Singh said in a post on X.
He added that the trial successfully met all stipulated objectives, as confirmed by data captured through various range instruments.
The Defence Minister said the successful test marked another important milestone in strengthening India's indigenous defence capabilities.
Last month, DRDO had also announced the successful flight trial of its indigenously developed High-Altitude Platform System (HAPS), which achieved an altitude of 21 km and demonstrated its capability for long-endurance flight in the stratosphere.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the experimental flight reached an altitude of 21 km above mean sea level and remained at around 20 km for more than 30 minutes before being commanded to descend. The platform was subsequently recovered safely, and the flight performance data was analysed.
The trial demonstrated the platform's ability to operate in the stratosphere, a region offering advantages for persistent surveillance, communications and monitoring missions.
During the flight, real-time video footage and vehicle performance data were continuously transmitted from the airborne platform to the ground control station.
Officials said the system carried several instrumentation and control packages, including an inertial measurement unit, GPS receiver, onboard cameras and altitude control mechanisms. Various other subsystems also functioned as intended throughout the mission.
The HAPS flight trial was conducted in coordination with multiple agencies, including the Indian Air Force, the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and other civil authorities.