India has registered a major milestone in its strategic defense strength with the successful test firing of the intermediate-range Agni-Prime missile from a specially adapted rail-based mobile launcher system on Thursday. This is for the first time that a missile test of this kind has been carried out using a launch platform networked with the national rail system.

‘First-of-its-kind’ Launch Boosts Deterrence

The most important strategic benefit of the new system is its mobility and stealth. The rail-mounted Mobile Launcher can travel across the entire rail network “without any preconditions,” providing the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) with cross-country mobility. This provision eliminates reaction time and operational visibility by a great extent, making India’s strategic deterrence much more robust.

“This successful test flight has brought India in the league of few countries possessing capabilities which have evolved a canisterised launch system from an on-the-move rail network,” read the Minister’s tweet.

Agni-Prime: A Next-Gen Ballistic Missile

The Agni-Prime is a cutting-edge, next-generation ballistic missile capable of striking at a range of up to 2,000 kilometers. Its canister-launched capability, a characteristic it also offers along with the Agni-5, allows quick deployment and ease of storage.

The test came after previous successful launches of the missile, one in August in Chandipur, Odisha.

The news came just a few days after India’s successful ‘Mission Divyastra’ test in March 2024, which had showcased the MIRV capability of Agni-5 missile. While the SFC, established in 2003, possesses only single-warhead missiles so far, a MIRV-capable system may be equipped with multiple nuclear warheads, each having a different target location.