India's Agni-5 Missile to Get Massive 7,500 kg Warhead for Underground Bunker Busting

The new variant would be designed to strike enemy facilities buried beneath layers of concrete, capable of penetrating 80-100 metres underground.India has begun developing a new class of high-powered missiles with bunker-buster capabilities to strike heavily fortified underground targets.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on a modified version of the Agni-5 intercontinental ballistic missile, designed to penetrate reinforced subterranean facilities, India Today reported. 

This development follows the recent use of Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs, which are bunker-buster weapons, by the United States against Iranian nuclear sites.

While the existing Agni-5 missile has a range of over 5,000 km and carries conventional warheads, the upgraded variant will reportedly be capable of delivering a 7,500 kg bunker-buster warhead.

The new missile is intended to target enemy installations buried beneath layers of concrete, with the ability to penetrate 80 to 100 metres underground.

India's intent to match US capabilities
The United States on June 22 launched surprise strikes on a key underground uranium enrichment site at Fordow, along with nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Natanz. The US used the B-2 bombers to drop a dozen bunker-buster bombs on Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites.