New Delhi, 25 Sept

India has successfully test-fired the Agni-Prime missile with a range of 2,000 km from a rail-based mobile launcher system, demonstrating its capability to deploy the missile across the country.

A day after the next-generation missile was tested, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that it put India in the group of select nations having the capability to launch such a weapon system from the rail network.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), carried out the "successful" launch of the intermediate-range Agni-Prime missile under a full operational scenario on Wednesday, the defence ministry said.

It has not disclosed the location of the test-firing of the weapon system.

The "first-of-its-kind" launch carried out from a specially designed rail-based mobile launcher has the capability to move on the rail network without any pre-conditions, and it allows users to have cross-country mobility and launch within a short reaction time, Singh said.

"This successful flight test has put India in the group of select nations having capabilities that have developed a canisterised launch system from a move rail network," he said on X.

The ministry said the missile is equipped with all independent launch capability features, including state-of-the-art communication systems and protection mechanisms.

"The missile trajectory was tracked by various ground stations, and it was a textbook 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 the Strategic Forces Command.

The "road mobile" variant of Agni-Prime has already been inducted into service after a series of successful flight trials.

The test-firing of the missile came over four-and-a-half months after the four-day military conflict between India and Pakistan.