India on Thursday successfully carried out a test launch of the intermediate-range Agni-Prime missile from a rail-based mobile launcher system. This is the first time a launch of this kind has been conducted using a platform specially designed and integrated with the national railway network.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh confirmed the success of the test in a statement on X, calling it a "first-of-its-kind launch" that highlights India’s expanding strategic deterrence capabilities.

“The first-of-its-kind launch carried out today from a specially designed rail-based Mobile Launcher has the capability to move on the Rail network without any preconditions, which allows users to have cross-country mobility and launch within a short reaction time with reduced visibility,” he said.

"Congratulations to DRDO, Strategic Forces Command (SFC) and the Armed Forces on the successful test of the Intermediate Range Agni-Prime missile. This successful flight test has put India in the group of select nations having capabilities that have developed a canisterised launch system from a mobile rail network," the post added.

The Agni-Prime, a next-generation ballistic missile, can strike targets at ranges of up to 2,000 kilometres.

The test comes after the missile was successfully launched in August from Chandipur, Odisha.

In March 2024, a trial of Agni-5 was conducted under ‘Mission Divyastra’, demonstrating MIRV or multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle capability.

A MIRV-equipped missile can carry three to four nuclear warheads, each directed at a different target. Currently, the SFC, which was formed in 2003, operates only single-warhead missiles. The solid-fuelled, three-stage Agni-5 is canister-launched, which allows for rapid deployment.