Forces carry out firing of Ballistic Missile from Rail-Based Mobile launcher
Strategic Forces Command has successfully carried out a training launch of the Intermediate Range Agni-Prime missile from a rail-based mobile launcher system. This event demonstrates to the whole world the strategic capabilities of India to deploy and launch ballistic missiles from the country’s extensive rail network, adding a crucial layer of mobility and survivability to its deterrent posture….for the second strike capability. This is as good as a SSBN firing from the depth of the ocean.
The Agni-Prime missile, forms part of the next generation of Agni-series, with ranges up to 2,000 km and incorporates several advanced technological features for enhanced performance.
The missile has a canisterised launch mechanism, allowing for safe transport, storage, and quick launch preparation, thereby reducing overall response time and increasing operational flexibility.
For the first time, the Agni-Prime has been fired by the Users, from a specially designed rail-based mobile launcher, a platform that provides cross-country mobility and rapid random redeployment.
This rail-based system virtually reduces the missile’s visibility to adversaries, enabling launches from unpredictable locations across the vast Indian railway network, thus making the enemy targeting efforts more difficult than detecting and neutralizing a SSBN.
The introduction of a rail-mobile missile launch system places India in a select group of nations with such advanced operational capabilities, further strengthening India’s deterrence by adding mobility, survivability, and second-strike potential to its missile arsenal.
The successful firing by the users signals not only technological prowess but also operational readiness and integration of indigenous innovations into the country’s strategic forces.
Shri Rajnath Singh, Raksha Mantri emphasised that these advances reflect commitment to Aatmanirbhar Bharat, or self-reliance, in defence technology and system development. The Agni-Prime’s indigenous design and development by DRDO, in collaboration with Strategic Forces Command of the armed forces, underscores India’s growing defence manufacturing prowess and its ambition to be a global source of high-quality, advanced military equipment.
