FROM SILOS TO SIDINGS

India’s recent test of the Agni-Prime missile from a rail-based launcher is more than a technical trifle; it is a deliberate, calculated step in the long game of strategic deterrence.

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh framed the moment as a “first-of-its-kind” achievement — a canisterised, on-the-move launch from a specially designed rail platform — and the images of a missile lifting off from a train will stay with strategists and adversaries alike. At its core, the attraction of rail-based launchers is survivability. Stationary silos and fixed depots are vulnerable to preemptive attack and satellite surveillance; dispersal across hundreds of kilometres of rail network makes it harder for an adversary to find, fix and finish India’s strategic assets. With Agni-Prime’s quoted range of about 2,000 kilometres, the system demonstrably expands operational options for the armed forces: more launch points, greater unpredictability, and the ability to hide in plain sight — in tunnels, loops and siding yards — until the moment of choice.