Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), India’s premier defence R&D unit, has successfully tested the Agni-Prime ballistic missile on September 24, 2025. The unique feature of the missile system is, in a maiden effort, the Agni-Prime missile was launched from a rail-based mobile launcher. This novel technology marks a big strategic boost in the country’s defence capabilities and also is a major milestone in the path of the indigenization of the defence sector and realizing the goal of Atmanirbharta.
With the successful test of the missile from a rail-based mobile launch system, India has carved a place among the elite club of nations such as USA. Russia and China who are equipped with this cutting-edge technology of launching missiles from rail-based mobile launch system. DRDO has hailed the Agni-Prime missile system as the “game-changer” and a “force multiplier to the strategic forces” as it is both road cum rail missile system.
In a first-of-its-kind technology, the missile has been propelled from a specially designed platform which has been efficiently integrated into the national railways. With this innovation and critical technological mileage, the missile can easily blend with the regular train traffic and conduct a surprise or sudden strike from any critical and remote location, where the accessibility to the road infrastructure is difficult. Furnishing rail-based mobile launch system also means that there will be more potential missile storage sites, that can act as strategic launch pads beyond the vision of the enemies, during combat scenarios.
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
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has also hailed the latest critical defence technology as the “next generation missile” that accelerates the ability of India to establish a firm and solid strategic deterrence. “India has carried out the successful launch of the Intermediate Range Agni Prime Missile from a Rail based mobile launcher system. This next generation missile is designed to cover a range upto 2000km and is equipped with various advanced features”, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote on X platform.
Calling out the technology as the “first-of-its-kind”, Rajnath Singh exclaimed that the launch was “carried out from specially designed Rail based Mobile launcher, has the capability to move on rail network without any preconditions that allows users to have cross-country mobility and launch within a short reaction time with reduced visibility”.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister also congratulated DRDO, Strategic Forces Command(SFC) and the Indian Armed Forces for the successful test of the Agni-Prime missile. “This successful flight test has put India in the group of select nations, having capabilities that have developed canisterised launch system from on the move rail network”, Mr. Singh further asserted.
India has carried out the successful launch of Intermediate Range Agni-Prime Missile from a Rail based Mobile launcher system. This next generation missile is designed to cover a range up to 2000 km and is equipped with various advanced features.
The first-of-its-kind launch… pic.twitter.com/00GpGSNOeE
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 25, 2025
Agni-Prime is a nuclear-capable new-generation advanced variant of the Agni-class of missiles. It is lighter than the other Agni-class missiles and can be easily transported by both road and rail. It can be stored for longer-periods thus, requires reduced time for preparation and launch of the missile system.
Agni-Prime is also a ballistic missile, meaning it can be directly launched into the upper layers of the earth’s atmosphere, beyond the terrestrial range, where the nuclear warheads detaches from the missile and directly falls on the predetermined target. It has an intermediate range between 1000-2000kms. Since they are self-guided weapon systems they can be launched from aircrafts, ships, submarines and from the land. The latest feature of being able to launch from the rail network, is an additional hallmark in the state-of-the-art technology that boosts the offensive and defensive capabilities of India.
