India is quickly developing a powerful new missile that can destroy enemy bunkers hidden deep underground. This special version of the Agni missile will carry a heavy warhead designed to break through thick layers of concrete and soil, making it useful for targeting secret military bases and command centres.
India Fast-Tracking New Bunker-Buster Missiles with Agni Variant
India is moving quickly to develop a new type of advanced warhead that can destroy enemy targets buried deep underground, something which regular weapons can’t do.
This new weapon will be a part of a special version of the Agni missile system.
The decision to speed up this project came after the U.S. successfully used similar bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s hidden nuclear facilities.
While the U.S. used stealth bombers to drop those bombs, India is taking a different route.
Instead of using aircraft, India will deliver the bunker-buster warhead using a missile, which is cheaper and easier to operate during missions.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is already working on this project.
They’re modifying the Agni-5 missile, originally built to carry nuclear warheads across 5,000 km, into a non-nuclear version.
This new version will carry a very heavy warhead (around 7,500 kg) designed to destroy extremely tough targets like underground bunkers.
These bunker-buster missiles are being made to break through about 80 to 100 metres of reinforced concrete and soil before exploding.
Their main use will be to take out enemy command centers, missile silos, and other high-value military sites hidden deep below the surface.
India is reportedly developing two new Agni-5 missile versions:
Airburst Variant – Meant to explode above the ground to damage surface targets like airbases and tanks.
Bunker-Buster Variant – Built to penetrate deep underground targets, similar to America’s GBU-57 bombs.
Because of their heavy weight, these new missiles will likely have a shorter range, about 2,500 km, compared to the original Agni-5’s 5,000 km.
But that range is still enough for their specific mission goals.
These new missiles will also travel at incredibly high speeds, between Mach 7 and Mach 20, making them hypersonic weapons.
That means they’ll be faster and more powerful than most conventional weapons currently in use.
