India has joined the ranks of countries that own railway-launched ballistic missile technology. The successful testing of the Agni Prime missile, launched from a modified vehicle on September 24, marks important strategic progress for India’s defense.
The missile was created by joint development by the DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organization) and Strategic Forces Command, and was evaluated in a “complete operational scenario,” increasing the reliability of India’s nuclear deterrent.
The main advantage of the railway system is its survival. With the use of India’s vast railway network (extensions of over 60,000 km) and numerous tunnels, missiles can be easily moved and concealed, making it extremely difficult to be pursued and destroyed by enemies.
Agni Prime has a range of up to 2,000 km and is capable of attacking strategic targets across Pakistan and southwest China, making it a neighbour of India with geopolitical tensions and territorial issues.
This development comes amidst growing modernisation of China’s military power and growing regional tensions. The effort will place India on par with China, which is developing similar systems, and North Korea, which is already testing this type of test.
Railway mobility provides a relatively inexpensive and highly effective way to protect nuclear assets, changing the balance of strategic calculations and power in South Asia.
source: The War Zone | Photo: X @DRDO_India | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
Intermediate Range Agni-Prime Missile was successfully tested on 24 Sep 2025 from a Rail based Mobile launcher. This will be a force multiplier to strategic forces, with a game changer road cum rail missile system pic.twitter.com/bEmDQoHNUf
— DRDO (@DRDO_India) September 25, 2025
