Strategically, the LR-AShM places India with the US, Russia, and China as one of the few states fielding hypersonic anti-ship systems. Thus, a hypersonic anti-ship missile such as India’s LR-AShM could tilt the military balance in India’s favor. At the strategic level, the LR-AShM could strengthen India’s conventional deterrent against China and Pakistan by raising the cost of naval coercion. However, China and Pakistan may double down on countermeasures against India’s hypersonic arsenal. Ultimately, India’s LR-AShM strengthens deterrence and offsets adverse naval balances in the Indian Ocean.