India’s Agni-Prime, with 2,000km range, fired from train: Why the test is historic

Dubai: India has successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-Prime missile from a moving train, according to multiple media reports.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the “first-of-its-kind” launch, calling it a breakthrough that places India among a select group of nations with rail-based missile launch capability.

The Agni-Prime — an intermediate-range ballistic missile with a 2,000km reach — was launched from a canisterised system mounted on a specially designed railcar pulled by an Indian Railways locomotive.

Singh congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Strategic Forces Command and the Armed Forces, saying the achievement “puts India in the group of select nations that have developed canisterised launch systems from on-the-move rail networks.”

The significance of this test lies not in the missile itself, but the platform.

By using India’s nearly 70,000 km rail network, the military can now disperse and conceal missiles across the country — even hiding them in tunnels from enemy satellites until the last moment.

That flexibility reduces vulnerability in a first-strike scenario and allows the Armed Forces to launch from remote regions without road support.

1. Historic first
India successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable Agni-Prime missile from a train, a “first-of-its-kind” launch hailed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

2. Exclusive club
With this test, India joins an elite group of nations — the US, Russia and China — with rail-based missile launch capability.

3. Strategic advantage
The 2,000km range missile can now be deployed across India’s 70,000km railway network, hidden in tunnels and launched from remote locations, making detection harder.

4. Wartime edge
Rail-based systems allow surprise launches, rapid mobility and dispersed storage, improving survivability if enemy strikes target military bases.

5. Not without risks
Limitations include dependence on rail tracks, reduced launch precision and vulnerability to sabotage. Yet, analysts say the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

“Congratulations to DRDO… this successful flight test has put India in the group of select nations,” Singh posted on X, noting the shorter reaction times and cross-country mobility enabled by the system.

NDTV reported that the Agni-Prime test makes India the fourth nation, after the United States, Russia and China, to develop rail-based missile launch systems. North Korea has also claimed similar capacities, but experts remain sceptical.

Rail-based launchers offer multiple advantages — mobility, surprise, wider launch points and additional storage options during wartime. But they also come with drawbacks: Launches are limited to existing tracks, precision targeting can be harder to guarantee, and the network itself could be vulnerable to sabotage in conflict.

Still, defence analysts say the benefits outweigh the risks. “It gives India greater flexibility and survivability,” one expert told Indian media.

Railcar-based missile launches are not new. The Soviet Union pioneered the system in the 1980s with its RT-23 Molodets ICBMs, followed by the United States’ Peacekeeper Rail Garrison programme, later abandoned after the Cold War. Russia continues to retain railcar-based ICBMs in its arsenal.

For India, the Agni-Prime rail launch marks an important evolution in its nuclear deterrent — ensuring that its strike capability is not confined to silos or road-mobile systems that adversaries can monitor.

The launch places India in a very exclusive club — one that combines advanced missile technology with innovative platforms to enhance survivability in the event of war.