Dhanush Guns and Pralay Missile

Dhanush Guns and Pralay Missile

News: The Indian Army is on track to complete the induction of 114 Dhanush artillery guns by 2026, with one regiment already operational and Pralay missile is also in advanced stage of induction.

About Dhanush Guns:
• Dhanush is a 155 mm towed howitzer manufactured by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited, previously a part of Ordnance Factory Board. The gun was approved for service in 2019 and has been inducted into the Indian Army.
• The gun has a caliber of 155mm x 45mm and is equipped with an inertial navigation-based sighting system, autolaying facility, onboard ballistic computation and an advanced day and night direct firing system.
• It has a range of 36 km and has demonstrated a range of 38 km with specialized ammunition.

About Pralay missile:
• Pralay is a canisterised tactical, surface-to-surface, short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India.
• The missile is designed for battlefield use and can hit targets from a distance of 150 to 500 km. It is extremely difficult to intercept by enemy interceptor missiles.
• It follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory and is able to perform mid-air maneuvers using a maneuverable reentry vehicle (MaRV) to defeat anti-ballistic missile (ABM) interceptors.
• Pralay carries 350 kg to 700 kg high explosive preformed fragmentation warhead, Penetration-Cum-Blast (PCB) and Runway Denial Penetration Submunition (RDPS) at a range of 150 km to 500 km.
• The system is road mobile and meets the tactical ballistic missile requirement of the Indian Army.
• Pralay fills the gap of a conventionally armed ballistic missile that is not hampered by ‘No First Use’ nuclear policy. Further work is in progress to extend the range by another few hundred kilometers.