Armenia's defence ambitions shift with the pursuit of Indian missiles

After contracts concerning military equipment with France, Armenia seeks to acquire Indian Pralay ballistic missiles. What are the capabilities of this weapon?

According to Asian media, the Armenian government is striving for an agreement with India regarding the purchase of Pralay ballistic missiles. This is related to attempts to equalize the missile capabilities of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which are armed with LORA ballistic missiles provided by Israel Aerospace Industries (with a range of about 280 kilometres). Negotiations with India are another manifestation of the Armenian government's shift away from arms contracts with Russia. Some are also evidence of considering leaving the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

In recent months, Armenia has significantly strengthened its ties with France. It has already acquired Ground Master 200 radars, Mistral short-range air defence systems, and Bastion armoured vehicles from this European country. There has also been information about talks about Caesar self-propelled howitzers.

Compared to LORA, Indian Pralay ballistic missiles offer a greater range, reaching up to 500 kilometres, which could provide Armenia with a substantial long-range attack capability in the event of another conflict. Warheads here range from about 500 to even 1000 kilograms.

It uses inertial guidance, and the missiles are launched from a self-propelled platform. Each missile measures over 7 metres in length and has a launch weight of about 5.5 tonnes.

This is relatively new weaponry, with development starting in 2015 and the first tests conducted only in 2021. According to the manufacturer (DRDO), Pralay ballistic missiles offer high accuracy with an average error not exceeding 10 metres.

So far, no information has been provided on how the Indian authorities view the potential sale of Pralay ballistic missiles. It is worth noting, however, that this would not be the first weapon from India in the service of the Armenian army. It already possesses Indian Pinaka rocket systems with a maximum range of about 90 kilometres. On the other hand, Pralay ballistic missiles have not been exported until now.