India Successfully Tests Rail-Mobile Agni-Prime Missile, Boosting Strategic Deterrence

India achieved another milestone in its indigenous missile development program on 24 September 2025, when the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), successfully carried out the launch of the Intermediate Range Agni-Prime (Agni-P) missile from a Rail-based Mobile Launcher system.

A First-of-Its-Kind Rail-Based Launch

The test marked the first-ever launch of an Agni-series missile from a specially designed Rail-based Mobile Launcher, a platform capable of moving seamlessly across India’s rail network without requiring pre-conditioning or special arrangements.

The launcher has been designed for high mobility, flexibility, and rapid deployment. It provides cross-country operational capability and ensures quick reaction time while maintaining low visibility. Unlike fixed launch platforms, the rail-based launcher is self-sustained, equipped with independent launch features, advanced communication systems, and protective mechanisms to ensure survivability in diverse operational conditions.

Agni-Prime: A Next-Generation Missile

The Agni-Prime missile is an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) with a range of up to 2,000 kilometers, capable of striking deep strategic targets. It incorporates advanced navigation, guidance, and control technologies, making it more accurate and reliable than earlier generations.

The test followed a “textbook trajectory,” with the missile’s flight path tracked by multiple ground stations, radar systems, and telemetry facilities. All mission objectives were successfully met, validating the missile’s performance in a full operational scenario.

The road-mobile variant of Agni-P has already been inducted into the Armed Forces after a series of successful trials. With the rail-mobile system now successfully demonstrated, India moves closer to fielding a dual-launch capability, enhancing survivability and deterrence.

Strategic Significance

The successful test has significant implications for India’s nuclear deterrence posture. By diversifying its launch platforms—road and rail—India strengthens its second-strike capability, a key component of credible minimum deterrence under its nuclear doctrine.

Rail-based launch systems provide a distinct advantage by offering:

• Enhanced mobility and flexibility, making missile deployments unpredictable.

• Reduced vulnerability to enemy surveillance and pre-emptive strikes.

• Rapid response capability during high-alert scenarios.

This capability places India among a select group of nations—such as the US, Russia, and China—that have developed canisterised missile launch systems deployable via rail networks.

Leadership Reactions

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO, SFC, and the Armed Forces for the successful test, noting that it underscores India’s position as a technologically advanced defence power. He stated that the test has “put India in the group of select nations with the ability to field canisterised launch systems from rail networks.”

Dr. Samir V Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, also lauded the efforts of the scientific and operational teams, emphasizing that the achievement would accelerate the induction of futuristic rail-based missile systems into the Armed Forces.

The successful launch of Agni-Prime from a rail-based mobile launcher marks a major step forward in India’s missile modernization program. With this breakthrough, India strengthens its strategic deterrence architecture, ensuring a robust, mobile, and survivable missile force capable of responding effectively to emerging security challenges.