'First-of-its-kind': India successfully tests Agni-Prime missile from rail-based launcher - watch video

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday successfully conducted a test launch of the intermediate-range Agni-Prime missile from a rail-based mobile launcher system. This marks the first time such a launch has been carried out using a specially designed platform integrated with the national railway network.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh confirmed the successful test in a statement on X, calling it a "first-of-its-kind launch" that demonstrates India’s growing strategic deterrence capabilities.



“The first-of-its-kind launch carried out today from a specially designed rail-based Mobile Launcher has the capability to move on the Rail network without any preconditions, which allows users to have cross-country mobility and launch within a short reaction time with reduced visibility,” he said.

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"Congratulations to DRDO, Strategic Forces Command (SFC) and the Armed Forces on the successful test of the Intermediate Range Agni-Prime missile. This successful flight test has put India in the group of select nations having capabilities that have developed a canisterised launch system from a mobile rail network," the post added.

The Agni-Prime, a next-generation ballistic missile is capable of striking targets at ranges of up to 2,000 kilometers.

The test follows the successful launch of the missile in August at Chandipur, Odisha.

In March 2024, a trial of Agni-5 was conducted under ‘Mission Divyastra’, showcasing MIRV (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle) capability.

A MIRV-equipped missile can carry 3–4 nuclear warheads, each aimed at different targets. Currently, the SFC, formed in 2003, operates only single-warhead missiles. The solid-fuelled, three-stage Agni-5 is canister-launched, allowing rapid deployment.

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