India on Thursday successfully conducted the first-ever test firing of its next-generation Agni-Prime missile from a rail-based mobile launcher system, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced.
“This next generation missile is designed to cover a range up to 2,000 km and is equipped with various advanced features,” Singh said in a post on X.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), carried out the "successful" launch of intermediate range Agni-Prime missile under a full operational scenario on Wednesday, the defence ministry said.
It has not disclosed the location of test-firing of the weapon system.
Highlighting the significance of the launch platform, he added: “The first-of-its-kind launch carried out from specially designed Rail based Mobile Launcher, has the capability to move on Rail network without any pre-conditions that allows User to have a cross country mobility and launch within a short reaction time with reduced visibility.”
Congratulating the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) and the Armed Forces, the minister wrote: “Congratulations to @DRDO_India, Strategic Forces Command (SFC) and the Armed Forces on successful test of Intermediate Range 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.”
The ministry said the missile is equipped with all independent launch capability features, including the state-of-the-art communication systems and protection mechanisms.
"The missile trajectory was tracked by various ground stations and it was a text book launch meeting all mission objectives. This successful launch will enable futuristic rail-based systems induction into services," it said.
The launch was witnessed by senior scientists of the DRDO and officers of Strategic Forces Command.
The "road mobile" variant of Agni-Prime has already been inducted into the services after a series of successful flight trials.
The test-firing of the missile came over four-and-half-months after the four-day military conflict between India and Pakistan.
