Agni-Prime Fired from a Moving Train!
For the first time in India, the Agni-Prime missile was successfully tested from a moving train. With this, India has joined the list of countries capable of launching missiles from rail-based platforms, achieving a significant milestone.
The Agni-Prime pierced through the air after being fired from the train. Developed entirely in India by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Agni missiles have been demonstrating the Indian Armed Forces’ strength globally since 2011.
The next-generation Agni-Prime, designed for the future, can accurately strike targets up to 2,000 kilometers away. This missile, capable of long-range and precise strikes, successfully completed its test launch.
Following the successful test, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the DRDO and the armed forces. He noted that the advanced missile was launched using a specially designed rail launcher.
Agni-Prime is highly mobile and can be deployed rapidly wherever needed. It is engineered for quick response, ensuring operational flexibility. Rajnath Singh expressed pride in the DRDO and the armed forces’ achievement.
This success places India alongside countries that have tested rail-launched missiles. Some indigenously developed Agni missiles can hit targets between 3,500 and 5,000 kilometers and are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Advanced missiles like Agni-Prime are generally not easy to transport, so they are typically launched from fixed sites. However, with rail-launcher technology, the Indian Army can deploy them quickly and aim at targets anywhere.
Stationing missiles in one location poses the risk of enemy attacks. Launching them from moving trains significantly reduces this vulnerability, experts say.
India’s extensive railway network allows missiles to be rapidly concentrated where needed and even hidden from satellite surveillance along tunnels. The concept of a rail-launcher dates back to the Cold War era.
In the 1950s, the U.S. explored launching Minuteman missiles from trains but abandoned the plan in 1961. It was revisited in the 1980s but discontinued after the Soviet Union collapsed. Russia deployed the RT-23 Molodets system, which was later dismantled under arms reduction treaties. In 2016, Russia tested the DF-41 rail-mobile launcher, while North Korea reportedly launched short-range missiles from trains.
Currently, countries like China and Pakistan can target multiple locations with their missiles. India’s Agni series, capable of carrying nuclear warheads and striking from land, air, sea, and now rail platforms, further strengthens the country’s defense capabilities.
