India’s Agni-V to carry 7500-kilogram bunker-buster warhead

India is developing new variants of the Agni-5 missile with bunker-buster capabilities to strike heavily fortified underground targets. The recent global conflicts have highlighted the need for the same. Under Operation Midnight Hammer,  the US deployed GBU-57/A Massive Ordnance Penetrators against Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility on June 22. These are bunker-buster bombs. India is also working on building a powerful new missile system capable of penetrating fortified underground targets.

Bunker Buster Version of Agni-V

The DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) is working on a new version of the Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile. The original has a range exceeding 5000 kilometres and typically carries nuclear warheads.

The upgraded variant will be a conventional, non-nuclear version, capable of carrying a massive 7,500 kg bunker-buster warhead. The new missile is designed to target enemy installations that are buried beneath layers of concrete. It can penetrate 80 to 100 metres underground.

The need for such a weapon arises because there is no strategic bomber available. Examples include the US’s B-2 Spirit or B-52 Stratofortress. These bombers are capable of delivering the 13.6 tonne GBU-57 MOP, which can penetrate up to 200 feet of reinforced concrete.  India’s Su-30MKI and Rafale jets are versatile. However, they lack the payload capacity to deliver such heavy bombs over long distances. They also do not have the stealth required in contested airspace.

Also read: India’s Missile Defense Systems: Ready for Any Nuclear Threat

This also addresses the increasing threats in the Indo-Pacific. In this region, China’s J-20 stealth jets and DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missiles pose significant challenges. Fortified underground facilities add to these challenges. Pakistan’s suspected nuclear storage sites include those rumored at Kirana Hills. These sites necessitate a capability to target deeply buried infrastructure.

At Par with US Capabilities

This development signals that India is eyeing to match the capabilities of the US. The US’s GBU-57 has set benchmarks in deep-penetration munitions. Its predecessor, the GBU-43, is popularly known as the “Mother of All Bombs.” India’s indigenous version plans to go further. While the US is relying on large and expensive bomber aircraft, India is designing its bunker buster for missile delivery. This strategy will offer a more flexible and cost-effective platform.

Two Variants Under Development

Reportedly, two new variants of Agni-V are under development. The first variant would offer an airburst warhead for above-ground targets. The latter would be a deep-penetrating missile designed to burrow into hardened subterranean infrastructure. This concept is similar to that of GBU-57, but with a potentially larger payload. The missile is engineered to evade Ballistic Missile Defences (BMD) systems and target large-scale, fortified enemy infrastructure.

While the range of the new warheads would be reduced to 2,500 km, their weight would be around 8 tonnes. This would make them among the most powerful conventional warheads globally. Moreover, the missiles are expected to be hypersonic weapons, expected to reach the speeds between Mach 8 and March 20. These warheads will play a crucial role in targeting command-and-control centres. They will also target missile silos and critical military infrastructure. This is especially significant in adversarial nations like Pakistan and China.

The move underlines India’s growing defence capabilities and a boost in indigenous technology and manufacturing. This is in line with India’s aim of self-reliance in defence technology.

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