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India Today
30-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
DRDO giving Agni-5 a devastating upgrade: What is bunker buster missile?
While the conflict between Israel and Iran has eased in the last few days, the US participation in the aerial warfare with its precision ammunition and bunker busters has opened new avenues for countries across the world to enhance their defence is no less, as it is working to accelerate its own efforts to develop advanced bunker-buster capabilities. The latest developments are critical in the wake of Operation Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on an upgraded version of the Agni-5 intercontinental ballistic missile. Unlike the original, which is designed for nuclear delivery with a range of over 5,000 kilometres, the new variant will be conventionally armed and capable of carrying a massive 7,500-kilogram bunker-buster warhead. India on September 15 successfully test-fired for a second time a long-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. (Photo: AFP) WHAT IS A BUNKER BUSTER? A 'bunker buster' missile is a specialised weapon designed to penetrate and destroy heavily fortified underground targets such as military bunkers, command centers, missile silos, and storage conventional warheads that explode on or near the surface, bunker busters are engineered to burrow deep into the ground or through reinforced concrete before detonating, maximising their destructive effect against hardened or subterranean DO BUNKER BUSTER MISSILES WORK?Bunker buster missiles achieve penetration through a combination of high mass, hardened casings, and advanced guidance impact, the missile's hardened nose and dense construction allow it to pierce several meters of reinforced concrete or earth. Once it reaches the desired depth, a delayed-action fuse triggers the warhead, creating a shockwave that collapses the target from within. The new variant of India's Agni-5 missile, under development by the DRDO, is reported to carry a massive 7,500-kilogram conventional warhead — one of the largest bunker-buster payloads globally. This gives it the capability to destroy even the most deeply buried and heavily protected enemy ROLE AND STRATEGIC IMPORTANCEBunker buster missiles play a crucial role in modern warfare, especially in scenarios where adversaries rely on underground facilities for protection and primary combat roles include:Neutralising Command and Control Centers: Disabling enemy leadership and communication hubs hidden Missile Silos: Preventing the launch of ballistic or cruise missiles by targeting their protected launch Weapons Storage: Striking underground depots containing ammunition, fuel, or chemical/biological Air Defense Systems: Targeting deeply buried radar and control facilities that support enemy air APPLICATIONS FOR INDIAadvertisementIndia faces unique security challenges along its borders with both Pakistan and China, where adversaries have invested heavily in underground bunkers, missile silos, and command posts. Bunker buster missiles play a crucial role in modern warfare. (Photo: PTI) The Agni-5 bunker buster variant could serve several strategic and tactical purposes:Targeting Hardened Military Installations: Both Pakistan and China maintain fortified command centers and ammunition depots near the border. The missile could neutralise these assets in a Operations: In the event of hostilities, India could use bunker busters to preemptively destroy enemy missile silos or nuclear storage sites, reducing the risk of Underground Infrastructure: The mere possession of such a capability could deter adversaries from relying on underground facilities, shifting the strategic Warfare: In the Himalayas, where terrain favours tunnelling and underground bunkers, such missiles would give India a decisive advantage.- EndsTune InMust Watch
India Today
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Sever ties with Diljit, Sardaar Ji 3 makers: Film body over Pak actor casting row
The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) condemned actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh, 'Sardaar Ji 3' producers Gunbir Singh Sidhu, Manmor Sidhu and director Amar Hundal for working with Pakistani actor Hania Aamir in the film. They demanded the film industry to blacklist them and the cancellation of their Indian Diljit Dosanjh unveiled the trailer of 'Sardaar Ji 3' and announced the film's overseas release, the film association issued a directive urging film associations, exhibitors, OTT platforms and distributors to sever all ties with the actor and the it an anti-national act, the film association appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others to "take strict and immediate action" against Diljit Dosanjh, the producers and director. "We respectfully urge that their passports be revoked without delay, and that they be permanently barred from availing any rights, privileges, or representation associated with Indian citizenship and national identity," their statement read. The film body stressed the team's direct defiance of their official ban on Pakistani artists and called it a "shameful betrayal of our country and its people", especially when the nation is mourning the loss of 26 people in the barbaric Pahalgam attack by Pakistan-backed statement also called Pakistani actor Hania Aamir a "vocal propagandist against India." It further mentioned that she mocked Indian armed forces and justified Pakistan's terror acts amid Operation film association also issued a final and stern warning that any Indian filmmaker or artist who collaborates with Pakistani nationals will be considered as those promoting anti-India narratives."There is no place in the Indian film industry for such individuals. FWICE will not stand silent as our tricolour is disrespected. We will expose and oppose every attempt to normalise cultural exchange with those who glorify terrorism and denounce India. This is not just a call for boycott - this is a call for national solidarity," read the another letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the film body asked the government to treat this act as a national breach and disregard for national directives. Questioning their loyalties, the association called their actions "a gross betrayal to the nation that gave them fame, fortune and identity."Diljit Dosanjh, actor and co-producer of 'Sardaar Ji 3' announced that the film would release overseas on June 27. The trailer, which was unveiled on Sunday, confirmed the presence of Pakistani actor Hania Aamir, which triggered severe backlash. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DILJIT DOSANJH (@diljitdosanjh)However, the film's producer, Gunbir Singh Sidhu, exclusively told India that the casting happened before the India-Pakistan conflict. "Although our film was shot well before the India-Pakistan conflict, we are not releasing the film in India, keeping in mind the present situation and the sentiments of India and the Indian people," he also added that they will wait for the opportune time to release the film in India.- Ends
India Today
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
How Ghazi Baba operation, shown in the film ‘Ground Zero', is detailed in IPS officer's biography
Continuing with the Hindi film industry's trend of making movies on real-life incidents, the Farhan Akhtar- Ritesh Sidhwani-produced Ground Zero, directed by Tejas Deoskar, is the story of the operation to eliminate dreaded terrorist Rana Tahir Nadeem aka Ghazi Baba, the mastermind of the 2001 Parliament Baba was originally a resident of Pakistan's Bahawalpur, one of the places struck by the Indian military during Operation film, which released a few weeks ago, has Emraan Hashmi playing the main protagonist—Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey, the second-in-command of a Border Security Force (BSF) battalion posted in the Kashmir film's release was preceded by the release last year of the autobiography of the late Vijay Raman, a highly decorated 1975 batch IPS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre. Raman was posted as BSF inspector general (IG) for Kashmir when the Ghazi Baba encounter took place in 2003. Raman's book Did I Really Do All This? covers his stints in the BSF, including Jammu and Kashmir. In the book, Raman describes how he received inputs about Ghazi Baba's whereabouts though an old contact. It was during his posting in Delhi that he came to know about the militant's presence in Srinagar. By a twist of fate, the BSF IG in Srinagar took ill and Raman was assigned in his got posted in Srinagar in mid-2003 and resumed contact with his informer. The chapter 'My Tryst With India's Osama' in his book describes in detail how Raman set up a team and did multiple recces to locate Ghazi Baba. On one such trip, Raman and other BSF personnel, armed but in civvies, had spotted Ghazi Baba in downtown when Raman was to exit his vehicle to apprehend Ghazi Baba, the informer held him back and asked the driver to get out of the area at the earliest. Later, he dropped a bombshell: Ghazi Baba wore an explosive belt and any attempt to arrest him could have been catastrophic as he would have blown himself August 29, 2003, Raman received information from Narendra Dubey that he had inputs on Ghazi Baba. According to the book, Raman had not shared his pursuit of the militant with anyone until then. Ahead of a prime ministerial visit to Srinagar, the BSF had apprehended a man with grenades and weapons. He turned out to be Ghazi Baba's his interrogation, it was learnt that a carpenter had created storage spaces in two houses in Srinagar and that weapons had been stored in one of them. A team led by Dubey went to the second house, only to find Ghazi Baba hiding in the storage space. He opened fire at the BSF personnel. Dubey was injured and evacuated from the building. Other injured BSF personnel were also shifted out, after which the building was blown up, killing Ghazi book mentions that Ghazi Baba was eventually positively identified by an India Today photographer. In the film, however, Ghazi Baba is shown to have been eliminated by Dubey. Raman mentions in his book that he had proposed the Ashoka Chakra (the highest peacetime gallantry award) for Dubey, but it did not book contains vivid accounts of Raman's tenure in Kashmir, in the Special Protection Group (SPG) where he worked with four prime ministers, and also in Chambal, where he led the operation to eliminate Paan Singh Tomar, also the subject of the eponymous 2012 film starring the late Irrfan to India Today MagazineMust Watch
India Today
20-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Madhya Pradesh Police forms special team to probe Minister's Col Qureshi remarks
Madhya Pradesh Police constituted a three-member SIT late on Monday night to probe state minister Vijay Shah's remarks against Col Sofiya Qureshi in compliance with a Supreme Court order, an official Special Investigation Team comprises Inspector General of Police Pramod Verma, Deputy Inspector General Kalyan Chakravarty and Superintendent of Police Vahini Supreme Court on Monday chided Shah for his "crass" remarks on Col Qureshi and constituted a three-member special investigation team to probe the FIR lodged against The top court asked the Madhya Pradesh director general of police to constitute a three-member SIT headed by an IG-rank officer by Tuesday 10 am, also comprising a woman officer, to probe the FIR registered following an order of the Madhya Pradesh High order to constitute the SIT was issued by the Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Kailash Makwana with a direction to ensure compliance with the apex court IPS officer Pramod Verma is currently posted as Inspector General (IG) Sagar range, Kalyan Chakravarty is posted as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) SAF, Bhopal, and Vahini Singh as SP Dindori, the official came under fire after a video, which was distributed widely, showed him allegedly making objectionable remarks against Col Qureshi, who gained nationwide prominence along with another woman officer, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, during media briefings on Operation Madhya Pradesh High Court rebuked Shah for passing "scurrilous" remarks and using "language of the gutters" against Col Qureshi and ordered the police to file an FIR against him on the charge of promoting enmity and drawing severe condemnation, the MP minister has expressed regret and said that he respects Col Qureshi more than his InMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Madhya Pradesh#Operation Sindoor#Supreme Court
India Today
13-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Fact-check for Pakistan: Minister shares video of PM's Adampur air base visit
The surrounding air echoed with chants of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram' as Prime Minister Modi visited Punjab's Adampur air base early this morning. Hours after the visit, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw took a dig at Pakistan, which had claimed to have destroyed the Adampur air base during its attack on the night of May 9–10, in response to India's Operation Prime Minister's visit was significant as it demonstrated the air base was in fine condition, refuting reports of any Union Minister posted a video of the Prime Minister meeting jawans at the Adampur air base on X and said, 'Fact-check for Pakistan, which claims to have attacked the Adampur Air Base. PM Narendra Modi interacted with our brave jawans.' In a post on X, the Prime Minister shared a few photos with the jawans and called it a 'very special experience'.'Earlier this morning, I went to AFS Adampur and met our brave air warriors and soldiers. It was a very special experience to be with those who epitomise courage, determination and fearlessness. India is eternally grateful to our armed forces for everything they do for our nation,' the Prime Minister said. advertisement Adampur was one of the four key Indian Air Force stations that Pakistan claimed had suffered major damage after being targeted on the night of May 9–10, in response to India's Operation Today's Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) team reviewed medium-resolution satellite imagery from the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA for at least 10 air bases and imagery did not show any visible damage to the runway, administrative buildings, or aircraft hangars for Avantipur and Udhampur air base in J&K, Pathankot, Bathinda, Adampur in Punjab, Suratgarh air base in Rajasthan, and Sirsa in Haryana.
