Agni-Prime Missile: India on Thursday successfully launched the intermediate-range Agni-Prime missile from a specially designed rail-based mobile launcher. The advanced ballistic missile was fired from a rail platform operated by an Indian Railways locomotive, the Defence Ministry confirmed.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the achievement as a “first-of-its-kind” exercise, highlighting the innovation behind the rail-based system.
“The first-of-its-kind launch was carried out from a specially designed rail-based mobile launcher,” Singh said, adding that the Agni-Prime missile is capable of striking targets up to 2,000 kilometres away.
India has carried out the successful launch of Intermediate Range Agni-Prime Missile from a Rail based Mobile launcher system. This next generation missile is designed to cover a range up to 2000 km and is equipped with various advanced features.
The first-of-its-kind launch… pic.twitter.com/00GpGSNOeE
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 25, 2025
Agni-Prime Missile Elite Capabilities
The launch was conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in coordination with the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) and the Armed Forces.
Singh congratulated the teams involved, stating, “The success of the flight test has placed India among the selected nations that have developed a canisterised launch system from an on-the-move rail network.”
Also Read: Agni Prime Missile: India’s Milestone In Strategic And Mobile Missile Technology
Which Other Counties Have Rail-Based ICBMS?
The nuclear-capable Agni-Prime’s successful deployment places India alongside global powers such as Russia, the United States, and China, countries known to have developed or demonstrated the ability to fire intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) from railcars.
North Korea has also claimed similar capabilities, announcing in 2021 that it launched missiles from a “railway-borne system” that traveled 800 kilometres before hitting a target off its eastern coast. Japan and South Korea later confirmed the launch but could not verify the platform used.
#DRDO, in collaboration with the Strategic Forces Command (#SFC), has carried out the successful launch of the Intermediate Range #Agni-Prime Missile from a #Rail based Mobile launcher system, under a full operational scenario on 24th Sep 2025.
🔹 This next-generation missile is… pic.twitter.com/xlPi5NHjnO
— Defence Production India (@DefProdnIndia) September 25, 2025
Strategic Advantages of Rail Mobility
The new system provides India with significant strategic flexibility. Singh noted that the launcher “has the capability to move on the rail network without pre-conditions, allowing shorter reaction time and cross-country mobility.”
With nearly 70,000 kilometres of railway tracks as of March last year, India possesses the world’s fourth-largest rail network, enabling the military to launch the Agni-Prime, or other compatible missiles, from some of the remotest parts of the country, even without road support. All that is required is a rail line leading to the launch point.
Also Read: Watch: Agni-Prime Missile Successfully Launched From Rail-Based System In India
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
