India’s ‘Ghost Train’ Missile Strategy Alarms China and Pakistan: Understanding the Agni Prime

New Delhi: India’s successful launch of the Agni Prime (Agni-P) medium-range ballistic missile from Odisha on December 24, 2025, has drawn renewed attention to the country’s rail-mobile missile capability—an approach that significantly enhances strategic survivability and deterrence. Defense analysts say the system’s mobility makes it extremely difficult for adversaries to detect and neutralize, raising concerns in both China and Pakistan.

Although road-mobile missile systems are often seen as more modern, India’s vast rail network provides a unique advantage. A missile mounted on a train can move across thousands of kilometers, making it nearly impossible for enemy satellites to track. Experts describe the challenge as equivalent to finding a needle in a haystack.

Where Could Rail-Mobile Missiles Be Deployed?

According to assessments cited by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), India appears to maintain at least two major facilities linked to rail-mobile missile deployment. One is believed to be located near Dehu in Maharashtra’s Pune district. Satellite imagery suggests the presence of retractable rail-mounted shelters similar to those seen at Abdul Kalam Island, a key missile testing site. Its proximity—less than 700 km from the Pakistani border—places much of Pakistan within range of medium-range ballistic systems.

Another suspected location is near Missa in Assam’s Nagaon district. While the layout differs from Dehu, analysts note similar architectural features and rail connectivity, suggesting a comparable strategic purpose. From India’s northeast, missile coverage would extend deep into Chinese territory, significantly strengthening deterrence in the Himalayan theater.

Why Agni Prime Matters

Agni Prime represents a major leap in Indian missile engineering. The solid-fuel missile is stored in a sealed launch canister, allowing rapid deployment without on-site fueling. This reduces launch preparation time and increases survivability. When combined with rail mobility, the system becomes even harder to preemptively strike.

Retired Lieutenant Colonel J.S. Sodhi told Navbharat Times that such systems expand India’s ability to respond decisively in a multi-front conflict scenario. “Given China’s posture and regional instability, India must prepare for complex future conflicts. Missiles like Agni Prime enhance our capacity to neutralize high-value targets if deterrence fails,” he said.

Global Context: Rail-Mobile Missiles

Interest in rail-mobile missiles dates back to the Cold War. The Soviet Union successfully tested and deployed the RT-23 rail-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the late 1970s, while the United States explored but ultimately canceled a similar Peacekeeper rail concept due to cost and arms control constraints. Russia revisited the concept in 2013 under the Barguzin project, but funding limitations stalled progress.

China has experimented with mobile missile platforms for decades, though its rail-based systems remain limited in operational maturity. North Korea claimed in 2021 that it had successfully launched short-range ballistic missiles from a rail-mobile platform, signaling growing interest in survivable launch options.

Strategic Significance

Rail-mobile launch capability complicates enemy targeting. Fixed launch silos can be destroyed in a preemptive strike, and even road-mobile systems are vulnerable to air surveillance. A missile force hidden within a civilian rail network can disperse rapidly, strike, and relocate before retaliation.

IISS analysts note that such highly mobile nuclear-capable forces make arms control and verification increasingly difficult. While they strengthen deterrence by ensuring second-strike capability, they also introduce new technical challenges for future weapons limitation efforts.

India’s integration of rail-mobile missiles underscores a broader modernization of its strategic forces. As regional rivalries intensify, the Agni Prime is emerging not just as a weapon, but as a symbol of evolving deterrence in Asia’s shifting security landscape.