Astra (Sanskrit: "Weapon") is a family of Indian all weather beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy. Multiple variants of this missile have been developed with engagement range varying from to . Astra Mk-1 has been integrated with the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fleet.
The missile will be integrated with the entire fighter fleet except the Dassault Mirage 2000 of the Indian Air Force as well as the Dassault Rafale fleet of the Navy. In 2024, the missile was cleared for full production.
Description Astra Mark-1 Astra Mk-1 is long with a diameter of and weighs . It uses mid-course inertial guidance driven by fibre-optic gyroscope with terminal guidance through active radar homing. It is capable of receiving course corrections through a secure data link. The missile's active radar seeker, with a homing range of , was originally designed by Russia's Concern Morinformsystem-Agat for the R-77 missile but manufactured within India. The seeker can lock-on to a target with a radar cross section of 5 square metres from a distance of 15 km and enables off-boresight launches up to an angle of 45°. Some tests in 2017 and 2018 validated an indigenous seeker replacing the earlier seeker. It is an improved active Ku, X band monopulse radio-frequency seeker developed by Research Center Imarat.
Astra Mk-1 is equipped with electronic counter-countermeasures to allow operation even during enemy attempts to jam the seeker using electronic countermeasures. It carries a high explosive pre-fragmented warhead activated by a DRDO-developed laser proximity fuse. It uses a smokeless solid fuelled motor that can propel the missile to a speed of Mach 4.5 and allows operation from a maximum altitude of . Its maximum range is in tail chase mode and in head-on chase mode. The maximum range is achieved when the missile launched from an altitude of over . However, the maximum range of the missile when fired from an altitude of drops to and when launched from sea level, the range drops further to . The seeker of the missile has a search range of . The airframe can also handle up to 40g of lateral acceleration (latax). It can be launched in both autonomous and buddy mode operation and can lock on to its target before or after it is launched. The missile is designed for high off-boresight launches beyond 45°.
It can be launched in both autonomous and buddy mode operation and can lock on to its target before or after it is launched. The missile is designed for high off-boresight launches beyond 45°.
During an interview in January 2026, a DRDO official said the missile was fired from the LCA Tejas in 2025 where the target was detected at and was engaged at a range of . The missile has already completed over 50 live firing trials. Further, the officials explained that following extensive feasibility talks between DRDO and Air Force officials after 2025 India–Pakistan conflict, the range of the existing missiles is being enhanced to .
The Astra Mark-1 is offered to substitute for the R-77 on the Su-27, Su-30, Su-35, and MiG-29.
Astra Mark-2 The Astra Mk-2 has a maximum range of depending on the firing altitude. Multiple upgrades have been implemented including an in-house developed dual-pulse rocket motor, laser proximity fuze, fiber optic and gyroscope based Inertial navigation systems, two-way awacs datalink capability and an indigenous AESA radar seeker among others. As per reports in 2015, the expected maximum range of the missile was while featuring shorter fins.
It can be launched in both autonomous and buddy mode operation and can lock on to its target before or after it is launched. The missile is designed for high off-boresight launches beyond 45°.
According to an October 2025 report, the missile is now planned to have a maximum range of over 200 km. The propulsion system is modified for enhanced thrust is and trajectory shaping optimized to provide longer endurance. The missile will also reportedly incorporate technology from the Chinese-origin PL-15E missile that was recovered by the Indian forces in Hoshiarpur district, Punjab during 2025 India–Pakistan conflict and later studied by DRDO. The missile was recovered in a fully intact form due to a lack of self destruct technology.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Minister of Defence, cleared the range extension of Astra Mk 2 missiles for the Indian Air Force during its meet on 29 December 2025. During an interview in January 2026, a DRDO scientist said that the missile's range can be upgraded up to with the addition of a newly developed dual-pulse motor. The missile, with an indigenous content of 90%. is also expected to be integrated with the LCA Tejas. The missile will have two launch modes: hot launch, akin to the Mark 1 variant, and cold launch or ejection type launch.
Gandiva
The Gandiva missile, previously Astra Mark-3, incorporate an air-breathing propulsion system designated as Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet setting it apart from the predecessors. By dimensions, the missile has a length of and a diameter of . This throttlable propulsion system significantly improves the range of the missile at at altitude and a range of at altitude. As per reports, the missile's launch speed ranges from Mach 0.8 to 2.2 while the target hit speed ranges from Mach 2.0 to 3.6. It can engage highly maneuverable fighter aircraft with high angle of attack of up to 20 degrees. With its "±10 km snap-up/snap-down capability" the missile allows the pilots to engage targets at both higher or lower altitudes with respect to the firing aircraft. The missile utilises a two-way data link for mid-course guidance from the launch aircraft or friendly AEW&C aircraft and also employs electronic counter-countermeasures.
VL-SRSAM
Development
Preliminary work on Astra Mk-1 had begun by 1990 with the completion of a pre-feasibility study. It was revealed to the public for the first time at Aero India 1998. It was described as an elongated Matra Super 530D with a smaller diameter in front of the wings. The project to develop the missile was officially sanctioned in 2004 with a budget of . The project was to be led by Defence Research and Development Laboratory with assistance from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Electronics Corporation of India Limited. The initial version of Astra Mk-1 reportedly weighed with a range of and was planned to be integrated with HAL Tejas. It was tested for the first time in May 2003.
The missile was redesigned around 2006 due to control issues and performance deficiencies at high altitude. The initial design of four cruciform short-span long-chord wings were replaced by cropped delta wings placed near the nose. The redesigned missile had an improved propulsion system and was tested for the first time in 2008. By 2013, the missile had been redesigned again in response to multiple failures caused by adverse interactions between flight control surfaces. The control, guidance, and propulsion systems were also reconfigured. After the second redesign, the missile was lighter than the initial version by around . It was tested from the ground thrice in December 2012 and captive trials from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI were held in April 2013. The aerodynamic characterization research was conducted at the National Aerospace Laboratories' 1.2m Trisonic Wind Tunnel Facility.
Though initially conceived to be integrated with HAL Tejas, the platform catalogue were later expanded to include SEPECAT Jaguar and Mikoyan MiG-29 of the Indian Air Force and was further made compatible with Su-30MKI and Dassault Mirage 2000 as well.
Variants
Astra Mk-1: Basic variant with a range of . Astra Mk-2: Extended range variant with a maximum range in excess of . It retains most of the features of Mk-1 variant with multiple upgrades including new indigenous dual-pulse rocket motor, laser proximity fuze and AESA radar seeker. Development of the type was first reported in 2015. Gandiva: The variant, designated as Astra Mk-3, is named after Gandiva of Arjuna from the Mahabharata. The missile, based on the Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet, exhibits a maximum range of . The missile enables combat aircraft to engage strategic targets including AEW&C, transport aircraft, in-flight refuellers, strategic bombers as well as enemy fighter aircraft at long distances. Astra IR: A planned shorter ranged variant with an imaging Infra-red homing seeker with a range of . VL-SRSAM: It is the surface-to-air missile derivative of the Astra family based on Indian Navy's requirements to replace older Barak 1 short range SAM system. VL-SRSAM will equip Indian Navy ships like Kamorta-class corvette as a short range air defense system and guided by its Revathi radar.
Trials
Astra Mark 1 The Astra Mark 1 missile underwent flight trials from ground-based launchers between May 2003 and December 2012. Parallelly, captive flight trials and weapons integration trials from the Sukhoi Su-30MKI were also completed in 2009–10 and 2013–14, respectively. Further in-flight firing trials were conducted from the aircraft May 2014 onwards. As of 2026, over 50 trials have been undertaken from both Su-30MKI and LCA Tejas.
Trials of the missile with HAL Tejas commenced in August 2023.
The Astra BVRAAM missile was fired for its maiden flight trial on 9 May 2003 at from a ground based fixed launcher with the help of a booster engine at Launch Complex 2 (LC-II) of the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha at 12:15 am IST. A total of three such trials were conducted during 9–12 May as was expected. On 25 March 2007, the missile was again test-fired from LC-II of the ITR at Chandipur after a gap of four years but with an upgraded range from 40 km to 80 km. The development was expected to be completed in 2011–12. On 13 September 2008, Astra BVRAAM was launched from Launch Complex 2 (LC-II) of the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur at 1205 hours IST. Another test could be conducted following analysing data captured from the current test. Validation trials of the missile's navigation, control, air frame, propulsion and other sub-system were completed. Earlier experimental trials were also conducted on 25 and 26 March 2008. In October 2009, the Indian Air Force undertook multiple captive flight trials of Astra BVRAAM with a Su-30MKI. The sorties were conducted from the Lohegaon Air Force Station, Pune. Until 29 October, four sorties were completed with the fifth one, which lasted for 90 minutes, was conducted on 31 October. The sorties included various flight parameters including supersonic speeds and 7g manoeuvres to confirm the missile is compatible with the entire flight envelope of Su-30MKI. The inert missiles were being integrated on one of the six under-wing hardpoints of the aircraft, though the avionics of the missile and aircraft were not electronically connected. The missile was still integrated with a Russian launcher and seeker head while the latter was yet to be consolidated with its on-board radar and other electronics. A total of seven sorties were conducted through November. While the first phase of captive trials, including aero mechanical integrity tests, were realised after four years of planning and certification, the second phase, consisting of avionics integrity tests, would be conducted in early 2010. During this phase, the electronics components of the missile and the avionics of the aircraft would be connected so that the pilot in the cockpit can "communicate" with the missile stored on the hardpoint. Further, guided flights from ground and firing trials from Su-30MKI were also planned in early 2010 and July–August 2010, respectively.