India developing deep-strike weapon, challenges US bunker-buster ordnance dominance
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth meets with India’s Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the Pentagon in early July to discuss defense-industrial collaboration following the Trump-Modi summit last February. Photo from US DoD.
By: Pirzada Shakir | Published: July 15, 2025
Reading Time: 6 minutes
New Delhi – India is developing a deep-strike missile to rival the US bunker-buster bombs that were dropped on Iranian nuclear sites in June.
The Indian Armed Forces said it is developing a variant of its Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could shift the paradigm in conventional deep-strike weaponry.
New Delhi announced the development just days after the United States’ President Donald Trump boasted to have destroyed Iran’s underground nuclear facilities using GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators dropped by its B-2 stealth bombers.
Unlike its nuclear predecessor, India’s new Agni-V will be able to carry a colossal 7,500-kilogram conventional bunker-buster warhead, as per news reports quoting officials, making it one of the most powerful non-nuclear munitions in the world.
Indian Army veteran, retired Lieutenant General Sanjay Kulkarni, a defence & strategic affairs expert, said the recent US attack on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities was one of the reasons for development of the new missile.
“A missile like the bunker-busting Agni-V gives India the option to target hardened command and control sites pre-emptively, making it capable of neutralizing a threat before it’s even activated,” said Kulkarni.
Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), India launched Agni-V, Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile, in 2021. It uses a three-stage solid fuelled engine, which is capable of striking targets at ranges up to 3,000 miles.
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Offers Deeper Penetration
The new variant being developed by DRDO is designed to penetrate up to 80–100 meters of reinforced concrete and earth, targeting command centers, missile silos, and critical underground military infrastructure, officials claimed.
It will have a reduced range of around 2,500 km compared to the original Agni-V with 5,000 km range.
The new Agni-V’s capability mirrors and potentially exceeds the US GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, but with a crucial difference: India’s system is missile-delivered, not reliant on large, vulnerable, and expensive bomber aircraft.
The new variant is said to reach hypersonic speeds (Mach 8–20), ensuring both precision and the ability to evade ballistic missile defense systems. Two configurations are under development: one for airburst attacks on surface targets, and a deep-penetration version for subterranean fortifications.
India’s accelerated development highlights the global arms race for advanced bunker-busting capabilities.
“You cannot stop the arms race after what’s going on in Ukraine, the Middle East, and between Israel and Iran,” said Kulkarni. “The US defense complex has gone into overdrive, developing and exporting missiles and weapons systems.”
The move signals India’s intent to match and potentially surpass western military technology in the realm of conventional strategic weaponry, especially to deal with neighbouring rivals, China and Pakistan.
In light of the recent nuclear hullabaloo by Pakistan, Kulkarni says that after Agni-V is operational, India can “conventionally eliminate key nuclear assets before launch, effectively nullifying Pakistan’s first-strike advantage.”
“That resets the nuclear equation to zero-zero,” he argued.
Kullkarni told Asia-Pacific Insights that the decision to develop the missile will at least “prevent large amounts of destruction if neither country goes nuclear amid tensions.”
He argued about the necessity of having such a weapon in the arsenal following the recent nuclear war threats from Pakistan. “Right now, it would give us an edge over the rivals – China and Pakistan. So when it comes to Pakistan, obviously we will be outpacing them. When it comes to China, definitely we get into that league, because China already has (Bunker Busters).”
Missiles, An ‘Obvious Choice’
Deepak Bali who is a professor of Chinese Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, in Delhi explained that missiles were an “obvious choice” for India. “Our targets are only a few hundred miles away, so we don’t need long-range bombers. We can strike from within our own territory with precision and speed.”
“Any enhancement in India’s defence capability will naturally concern both China and Pakistan. As international relations theory puts it, your security becomes my insecurity. That logic applies strongly here, especially since China and Pakistan are increasingly operating as a strategic axis,” said Prof. Bali.
He agrees that this development could trigger an arms race. “Any weapon you develop, your adversary would like to acquire, either by indigenous development or procure from allies,” he added, pointing to China’s growing military support to Pakistan, including potential transfers of advanced aircraft like the J-35 and delivery systems.
Fills Strategic Gap
The missile-based bunker buster will fill the strategic gap for the South Asian nation, which has been without long-range bomber aircrafts. It offers India the flexibility, and the ability to launch from dispersed locations to preemptively destroy threats, with minimal detection.
The US, which has bombers that can fly thousands of miles to reach targets like Iran, India will use a missile-based approach.
Operationally, the dual configuration of Agni-V will give India flexibility to strike both hardened underground targets and large surface formations.
“So if the Russian missile is penetrating 20 meters, and the American one is penetrating 60 meters. We will be outpacing China. We will be outpacing Russia. And we will virtually be equivalent to America and even outpacing America because America’s bunker busters can penetrate up to 60 metres. Ours can penetrate 80 to 100,” Kulkarni pointed out.
Strategically, the missile could alter adversaries’ calculations. A credible threat to these hardened sites could force a reassessment of their security doctrines and provoke countermeasures.
“It definitely gives us an edge over all the competitors in terms of the version for bunker bursting, primarily when it concerns silos and command and control centers,” Kulkarni highlighted.
He added, “This advantage extends even to nuclear installations, such as those possibly located in Kirana Hill or Nur Khan, (in Pakistan) where there’s a strong likelihood of critical enemy infrastructure being housed.”
Highlighting India’s evolving military strategy, defence experts say the country is `up for redefining its approach to deterrence with advanced missile capabilities.
“India is now shaping a deterrence posture that doesn’t depend on the threat of nuclear retaliation alone,” Kulkarni said and added. “With this Agni-V, India is telling its adversaries: we can now strike deep and hard, without crossing the nuclear line.”
He however, stressed that the development of the missile should be sped up given the rapidly changing security situation across the world.
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