Prahar, 150-km ballistic missile, appears to be India’s response to Pakistan’s Hatf IX (Nasr), a 60-km tactical nuclear missile, which was testfired in April.

Indo-Pak rivalry enters the phase of tactical nuclear weapons, a potentially dangerous development which lowers the nuclear threshold (increases chances of nuclear strikes).

Pakistan’s Nasr is aimed at blunting India’s Cold Start doctrine of rapid mobilisation and invasion as punishment and deterrence against 26/11-type attacks.

India has described the Prahar as a “battlefield support system”, an extension of its artillery, but stops short of officially calling it a nuclear weapon; Pakistan officially calls the Nasr a “tactical nuclear weapon” and a “low-yield battlefield deterrent”, capable of inflicting damage on (Indian) mechanised forces. India describes the Prahar is an Army tactical missile, comparable to the US ATACMS, does not term it a strategic missile yet but says it is capable of carrying “different types of warheads.”

But both sides describe the missiles as battlefield weapons, meant to destroy opposing formations. Pak’s Nasr is not only meant to blunt India’s Cold Start doctrine but also extends the threat of a nuclear strike to pre-empt even a limited war. Indian defence planners have been preparing to fight limited wars with Pakistan under a nuclear overhang (this presumes that a limited war is possible without provoking a nuclear exchange).

India says Prahar extends its artillery range to 150 km, filling the gap between multi-barrel artillery rockets like Smerch (70 km) and Pinaka (30 km) and medium-range ballistic missiles. This single-stage, solid-fuelled quick-reaction missile can hit a target 150-km away in just four minutes.

It is highly accurate, with only a 10-metre room for error. It’s accuracy is far higher than the artillery rockets and even the other ballistic missiles of comparable range (Prithvi).

It can carry bombs of up to 200 kg: which is less than the capacity of the 150-km range Prithvi nuclear missile which can carry a 500 kg bomb payload. This is an indication that nuclear warheads are being miniaturised.

The Prahar’s road mobile launcher can fire a salvo of six missiles to overwhelm an enemy formation.