In India for the first time, the nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile was fired from a specially designed rail-based launcher, pulled by an Indian Railways locomotive.
The demonstration means India now has the ability to launch a nuclear-capable missile not just from land silos, road-based canisters, aircraft and submarines, but also from its vast railway grid.
This rail mobility marks a significant step in India’s deterrence posture. It compresses adversary timelines, complicates targeting, and strengthens the credibility of India’s second-strike capability under its declared No First Use (NFU) doctrine.
Agni Prime, also referred to as Agni-P, is the sixth missile in India’s Agni series. It is a two-stage, solid-propellant intermediate-range ballistic missile with a strike range of up to 2,000 km, covering critical targets across Pakistan and much of China.
The missile is canisterised, meaning it is stored and transported in a sealed launch tube. This allows the missile to remain mated with its warhead and ready to fire at short notice, unlike older liquid-fuelled systems that required extensive pre-launch preparation. Solid propellant further reduces reaction time by eliminating the need for fuelling before launch.
Until now, the Agni Prime has been deployed on road-mobile truck launchers. Thursday’s test marked its debut on a rail-based platform, opening up a new dimension of mobility and concealment for India’s strategic forces.
