DRDO TO UNVEIL EXPORT VARIANT OF PRAHAAR MISSILE IN KOREA

Pragati, a modified only-for-export variant of the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) newest tactical surface-to-surface battlefield missile Prahaar, will be unveiled at the International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition scheduled to be held at Seoul, South Korea, from October 29-November 3, 2013, where more than 30 countries are participating.

The Pragati, with a stated range of 60-170 km stands to be presented over two years after the Prahaar was first tested and advertised to fill the “vital gap between multi-barrel rockets and medium-range ballistic missiles”. Identical in most respects to the Prahaar, the Pragati will be a road-mobile system, with the missile 7.3 meters long and with a diameter of 420 mm weighing 1,280 kg, and a single stage solid propulsion system goes to a height of 35 km before reaching the targets of the range of up to 170 km in just over 250 seconds. The missile equipped with state-of-the-art high accuracy navigation, guidance and electromechanical actuation systems with latest onboard computer achieved terminal accuracy of less than 10 metres. The missile with a payload of 200 kg has a fast reaction time, essential for the battlefield tactical missile. The road mobile system which can carry six missiles at a time, can be fired in salvo mode in all directions covering the entire azimuth plane.

According to DRDO, “India will for the first time display during an international event its latest state-of-the-art weapon systems, platforms, sensors, communication systems and equipment designed and developed by DRDO.”