You all know that the chinese have a habit of pushing range to whatever estimated mileage a motor can give and/or the instrumentation range of upto what the radar tracking system work, right ?
Astra Series Air to Air Missiles
- Thread starter Fatalis
- Start date
According to Huitong of CMA, the max range of the PLA version is 200km. I'd say Astra Mk2 compares quite well. I wouldn't be surprised to see an A2A version of Kusha (Akash-NG+ smaller booster) in the near future, giving our MKIs and other jets a bigger (400km+) stick. It'd be similar in concept to the Russian Novator KS-172 that we were once rumored to be buying.
DRDO also has triple-pulse AAMs on its long-term roadmap.
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Anyone fancy taking a high res picture from this timestamp ? cc @Gautam there is 4K available
I took 720p only and cleared a bit.
I took 720p only and cleared a bit.
The ks-172 and kusha won't be similar. The kusha would our aim 174 b equivalent.
We could license produce the r-37m's.
The triple pulse would be the astra mk4 or thr new mk3 since the mk3 is gandiv.
The above posters in the general missile display section seems like they do not update much time to time ? I think this FT-01 and FT-02 mention we have seen in previous defexpo. These models are also displayed at DRDL too for official visitors.
I slowed down at 0.25 speed and took in 720p, then cleaned a bit via free online pic site.
That fuel section is massive, it could outrange the 340 km goal.
So far Astr-1,2,3 have been quoted as same length of 3.84m
Moreover, it has to fit in AMCA's 4.2m long IWB.
India’s Air-To-Air Superweapon Breaks Cover
March 4, 2025
By Team Livefist
In modern aerial warfare, the ability to strike first and strike decisively defines the outcome of battles. The race for air superiority is no longer about just dogfights but about engagements far beyond visual range (BVR)—where the aircraft that fires first has the highest chance of survival. Enter Astra Mk-III, India’s latest homegrown beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM), powered by an advanced Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) system, revealed now to be called ‘GANDIVA‘, the name of Arjuna’s bow in the Mahabharata.
In a tantalizing data sheet that’s found its way to social media, the Gandiva/Astra Mk-III extends the no-escape zone for enemy fighters like perhaps never before. Data suggests it will be able to strike targets up to 340 km away at high altitudes, and 190 km at 8 km altitude—a range surpassing most air-to-air missiles fielded by adversaries, including the MBDA Meteor in service on the Indian Air Force’s Rafale fighters.
This means that Indian fighter jets equipped with Gandiva/Astra Mk-III can engage enemy aircraft long before they come within striking distance, effectively neutralizing threats before they pose a risk. This first-launch advantage is crucial against aircraft equipped with advanced radars, electronic warfare systems, and countermeasures.
Astra Mk-1 being fired from a Su-30 MKI
With a 20° angle of attack and ±10 km snap-up/snap-down capability, Gandiva/Astra Mk-III can even engage manoeuvering enemy aircraft at extreme altitudes, making it highly effective against high-value targets like AWACS, aerial refuelers, and fifth-generation fighters. Designed to outmatch existing adversary missiles and give the IAF an unquestionable edge in aerial engagements, it is a weapon that could rehshape India’s air combat doctrine. An image of the Gandiva on an Astra launcher has begun to do the round on Twitter, suggesting that the missile is preparing for its first flight test from the air. A precursor of the system has been tested from the ground at least twice so far. You can read about those latter tests here.
India’s first SFDR test in Feb 2019
A test of the Gandiva/Astra Mk-III from a Su-30 MKI fighter platform is presumably next on the weapon’s testing agenda.
At a length of 3838 mm and a diameter of 178-200 mm, the Gandiva/Astra Mk-III is unquestionably built to deliver lethal precision at extreme ranges, demonstrating a very robust, laser-focused effort to sharpen one of India’s most promising weapon programs. Livefist has tracked the Astra’s journey for years, capturing milestones along the way.
But the Gandiva/Astra Mk-III is a very different system. Unlike conventional solid-fuel missiles, which burn out in seconds, its SFDR propulsion system provides sustained thrust, allowing longer range, higher speeds, and unparalleled manoeuverability. The missile boasts a launch speed of Mach 0.8-2.2 and can intercept targets at Mach 2.0-3.6, making it one of the fastest air-to-air missiles in the world. It can be launched from sea level to 20 km altitude, ensuring it is effective across all combat scenarios.
Astra Mk-1 debut test firing from Tejas in 2023
More impressively, it eliminates the limitations of conventional rocket-powered BVRAAMs, which lose speed as they approach their targets. With throttle control and sustained energy, Gandiva/Astra Mk-III can maintain velocity throughout its flight, making it much harder to evade—a crucial advantage in modern warfare.
Accuracy in BVR combat is everything. Gandiva/Astra Mk-III employs a two-way data link for mid-course guidance, allowing it to receive real-time target updates from the launch aircraft or AWACS. This ensures the missile can adjust its trajectory based on enemy evasive manoeuvers, significantly increasing its probability of kill. For terminal guidance, Astra Mk-III uses a homing system, making it capable of locking onto and pursuing its target even in high-electronic warfare environments. This ensures that even if the enemy tries to jam or disrupt its trajectory, Astra Mk-III remains locked onto its prey. By combining network-centric warfare with long-range precision engagement, Astra Mk-III could push the IAF into the realm of next-gen aerial dominance. When paired with AWACS, the missile can engage enemy aircraft over hostile airspace without exposing Indian pilots to counter-fire.
The future integration of Gandiva/Astra Mk-III into the IAF’s fleet will transform India’s air combat capability. Designed for use with Su-30MKI and Tejas variants, the missile’s adaptability means it can potentially be deployed on Rafale, Mirage-2000, MiG-29, and the future AMCA.
India’s push for indigenous defence technology isn’t just about self-reliance—it’s about ensuring that the IAF remains ahead of adversaries. The Chinese PL-15 and Pakistani AIM-120C5 AMRAAM are formidable weapons, but Astra Mk-III’s longer range, superior agility, and SFDR propulsion give India a clear advantage.
Unlike imported missiles, which may be subject to supply chain uncertainties, the Gandiva/Astra Mk-III can be mass-produced domestically, ensuring that India’s fighter fleet remains fully stocked and combat-ready at all times. It goes without saying that the weapon will be hugely more cost-effective from a customer’s perspective too. With the Indian Navy inducting the Astra, it is almost certain that future deck-based fighters could find space for the new weapon.
Beyond its expected battlefield impact, the Gandiva/Astra Mk-III represents a milestone in India’s long-term vision for defence self-sufficiency. As part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, its development and deployment will strengthen India’s indigenous aerospace industry, boost research and development in next-gen propulsion systems, with applications beyond air-to-air combat and the foundation for future air-to-air missiles, including those for India’s next-generation stealth fighters.
Impending flight testing and integration will mark the dawn of a new era in Indian air combat—one where the IAF obtains a major lead in the terms of engagement.
India's Air-To-Air Superweapon Breaks Cover - Livefist
March 4, 2025
By Team Livefist
In modern aerial warfare, the ability to strike first and strike decisively defines the outcome of battles. The race for air superiority is no longer about just dogfights but about engagements far beyond visual range (BVR)—where the aircraft that fires first has the highest chance of survival. Enter Astra Mk-III, India’s latest homegrown beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM), powered by an advanced Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) system, revealed now to be called ‘GANDIVA‘, the name of Arjuna’s bow in the Mahabharata.
In a tantalizing data sheet that’s found its way to social media, the Gandiva/Astra Mk-III extends the no-escape zone for enemy fighters like perhaps never before. Data suggests it will be able to strike targets up to 340 km away at high altitudes, and 190 km at 8 km altitude—a range surpassing most air-to-air missiles fielded by adversaries, including the MBDA Meteor in service on the Indian Air Force’s Rafale fighters.
This means that Indian fighter jets equipped with Gandiva/Astra Mk-III can engage enemy aircraft long before they come within striking distance, effectively neutralizing threats before they pose a risk. This first-launch advantage is crucial against aircraft equipped with advanced radars, electronic warfare systems, and countermeasures.
Astra Mk-1 being fired from a Su-30 MKI
With a 20° angle of attack and ±10 km snap-up/snap-down capability, Gandiva/Astra Mk-III can even engage manoeuvering enemy aircraft at extreme altitudes, making it highly effective against high-value targets like AWACS, aerial refuelers, and fifth-generation fighters. Designed to outmatch existing adversary missiles and give the IAF an unquestionable edge in aerial engagements, it is a weapon that could rehshape India’s air combat doctrine. An image of the Gandiva on an Astra launcher has begun to do the round on Twitter, suggesting that the missile is preparing for its first flight test from the air. A precursor of the system has been tested from the ground at least twice so far. You can read about those latter tests here.
India’s first SFDR test in Feb 2019
A test of the Gandiva/Astra Mk-III from a Su-30 MKI fighter platform is presumably next on the weapon’s testing agenda.
At a length of 3838 mm and a diameter of 178-200 mm, the Gandiva/Astra Mk-III is unquestionably built to deliver lethal precision at extreme ranges, demonstrating a very robust, laser-focused effort to sharpen one of India’s most promising weapon programs. Livefist has tracked the Astra’s journey for years, capturing milestones along the way.
But the Gandiva/Astra Mk-III is a very different system. Unlike conventional solid-fuel missiles, which burn out in seconds, its SFDR propulsion system provides sustained thrust, allowing longer range, higher speeds, and unparalleled manoeuverability. The missile boasts a launch speed of Mach 0.8-2.2 and can intercept targets at Mach 2.0-3.6, making it one of the fastest air-to-air missiles in the world. It can be launched from sea level to 20 km altitude, ensuring it is effective across all combat scenarios.
Astra Mk-1 debut test firing from Tejas in 2023
More impressively, it eliminates the limitations of conventional rocket-powered BVRAAMs, which lose speed as they approach their targets. With throttle control and sustained energy, Gandiva/Astra Mk-III can maintain velocity throughout its flight, making it much harder to evade—a crucial advantage in modern warfare.
Accuracy in BVR combat is everything. Gandiva/Astra Mk-III employs a two-way data link for mid-course guidance, allowing it to receive real-time target updates from the launch aircraft or AWACS. This ensures the missile can adjust its trajectory based on enemy evasive manoeuvers, significantly increasing its probability of kill. For terminal guidance, Astra Mk-III uses a homing system, making it capable of locking onto and pursuing its target even in high-electronic warfare environments. This ensures that even if the enemy tries to jam or disrupt its trajectory, Astra Mk-III remains locked onto its prey. By combining network-centric warfare with long-range precision engagement, Astra Mk-III could push the IAF into the realm of next-gen aerial dominance. When paired with AWACS, the missile can engage enemy aircraft over hostile airspace without exposing Indian pilots to counter-fire.
The future integration of Gandiva/Astra Mk-III into the IAF’s fleet will transform India’s air combat capability. Designed for use with Su-30MKI and Tejas variants, the missile’s adaptability means it can potentially be deployed on Rafale, Mirage-2000, MiG-29, and the future AMCA.
India’s push for indigenous defence technology isn’t just about self-reliance—it’s about ensuring that the IAF remains ahead of adversaries. The Chinese PL-15 and Pakistani AIM-120C5 AMRAAM are formidable weapons, but Astra Mk-III’s longer range, superior agility, and SFDR propulsion give India a clear advantage.
Unlike imported missiles, which may be subject to supply chain uncertainties, the Gandiva/Astra Mk-III can be mass-produced domestically, ensuring that India’s fighter fleet remains fully stocked and combat-ready at all times. It goes without saying that the weapon will be hugely more cost-effective from a customer’s perspective too. With the Indian Navy inducting the Astra, it is almost certain that future deck-based fighters could find space for the new weapon.
Beyond its expected battlefield impact, the Gandiva/Astra Mk-III represents a milestone in India’s long-term vision for defence self-sufficiency. As part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, its development and deployment will strengthen India’s indigenous aerospace industry, boost research and development in next-gen propulsion systems, with applications beyond air-to-air combat and the foundation for future air-to-air missiles, including those for India’s next-generation stealth fighters.
Impending flight testing and integration will mark the dawn of a new era in Indian air combat—one where the IAF obtains a major lead in the terms of engagement.
India's Air-To-Air Superweapon Breaks Cover - Livefist
Tejas LCA AF MK1 test-fires Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile
Posted On: 12 MAR 2025 10:03PM by PIB Delhi
Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) has successfully conducted test-launch of homegrown ASTRA, Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) from LCA AF MK1 prototype fighter aircraft. The test launch was carried out on March 12, 2025 off the coast of Chandipur, Odisha.
The test-firing successfully demonstrated the direct hit of the missile on flying target. All the subsystems performed accurately meeting all mission parameters and objectives. ASTRA missile is designed and developed by DRDO capable of engaging the targets over 100km and equipped with advanced guidance and navigation capabilities allows missile to destroy targets with greater accuracy. The missile is already inducted into the Indian Air Force.
The successful test-firing is a significant milestone towards the induction of LCA AF MK1A variant. The success is the result of hard work by the integrated team of Scientists, Engineers and Technicians from ADA, DRDO, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) along with support from CEMILAC, DG-AQA, IAF & Test range team. Further trials are planned towards the performance evaluation.