Agni-Prime: India Now Has Nuclear Missile On Rails, Does Pakistan Have This Capability?

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.

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.

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