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AdityaM wrote: ↑25 Sep 2025 10:34
India tested Agni Prime from a rail-based mobile launcher that allows the missile to be transported quickly using the vast Indian rail network.
Indian Railways aims to get 100% track electrification by next year.
How will this missile be launched when there are high voltage cables above the launcher car.
First the missile will touch the electric cables in erect mode and get short & burn. And then a launch will break cables and missile itself will get damaged.
So this means the launcher can be transported anywhere on rails, but can only be launched from pre-designated launch areas ?
Those are the technologies to master. There will usually be an overhead mechanism to short circuit and divert the wires. There will also be an inclination mechanism to make sure the train is not damaged during the launch. You also need to master the electronic signaling, safety of the fissile material etc.. Russians operated such trains during the cold war. These are much more complex than road mobile launchers.
If you watch the actual video closely you will see the wires being diverted.
Tanaji wrote: ↑25 Sep 2025 13:28
I have a really dumb and basic question:
About 99% of Indian rail track is electrified. How will we fire a missile in times of war when there is a requirement for quick launch?
Please check Williams ji's post above..
In the video, you can see that the missile is being launched from an electrified track and the wires have been pushed to the side with a mechanism just behind the locomotive..
The tender has been issued by the Indian Army to the state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to buy the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed Anant Shastra air defence missile system, which was earlier known as the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile system, defence officials told ANI.
With a range of around 30 km, the system would be complementing the existing systems in the forces like the MRSAM and Akash in short to medium ranges. The missile system performance has been extensively evaluated under both day and night operational scenarios during the trials.
