GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 25th Sept: India has successfully test-fired its intermediate-range Agni Prime missile from a rail-based mobile launcher, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced early Thursday on X, sharing videos of the missile’s lift-off.
The nuclear-capable Agni Prime, with a range of 2,000 km, was launched from a specially designed railway bed, making India one of the few nations – alongside the US, Russia, and China – capable of firing railcar-based missiles. The test demonstrated “on-the-move” mobility, allowing shorter reaction times and cross-country deployment, the Defence Minister said.
“This successful test has put India in a group of select nations that have developed canisterised-launch systems from on-the-move rail networks,” Singh noted. The system enables the military to fire missiles even from remote areas with a rail line, bypassing road dependence.
Rail-based missile launchers also provide strategic advantages such as hiding missiles from enemy satellites using tunnels, increasing storage flexibility during wartime, and enhancing the survivability of India’s missile arsenal in case of targeted attacks. With nearly 70,000 km of railway tracks, India ranks fourth globally in network length, providing extensive operational options for such launches.
Experts noted that while rail-based launches offer mobility and concealment, they require a track at the launch site and may face precision challenges or sabotage risks in wartime. The concept mirrors earlier initiatives by the former Soviet Union with the RT-23 Molodets and by the US with its Peacekeeper Rail Garrison.
India’s successful test underscores its growing strategic capabilities and enhances the flexibility and survivability of its nuclear deterrent in a rapidly evolving security environment.
