Astra Mk3 'Gandiva' BVRAAM Getting Ready for Extensive Live-Fire Trials, Promising Superior No-Escape Zone against High-Value Stealth Targets

India's indigenous defence capabilities are set to achieve a new milestone as its next-generation air-to-air missile, the Astra Mk3, officially named 'Gandiva', prepares for a critical phase of extensive live testing.

Powered by a state-of-the-art propulsion system, this Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) is engineered to engage targets from an impressive distance of up to 350 kilometres, significantly enhancing the combat potential of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Named after the celestial bow from the epic Mahabharata, the Gandiva represents a major advancement in the country's missile technology under the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (Self-reliant India) initiative.

At the heart of its advanced capabilities is its Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) engine. Unlike conventional rocket motors that carry both fuel and an oxidizer, the SFDR is an air-breathing system that uses oxygen from the atmosphere to burn its solid fuel.

This innovation allows the missile to be lighter and sustain speeds of up to Mach 4.5 (over four times the speed of sound) for longer durations.

A key feature of the Gandiva is its ability to create a vast "no-escape zone" for enemy aircraft. This is the critical area where a target, once locked, cannot use its speed or agility to evade impact.

The missile’s throttleable ramjet engine can adjust its thrust during flight, conserving energy to maintain high velocity during the final phase of engagement.

This ensures that even highly manoeuvrable jets, stealth fighters, and crucial high-value assets like enemy bombers and Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) can be effectively neutralised at extreme ranges.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is now scheduling live-fire and extreme envelope trials to validate the missile's performance in real-world combat scenarios.

This follows a successful ground-based test in December 2024 at the Integrated Test Range in Odisha, which confirmed the functionality of the SFDR engine and its indigenous radar seeker.

Simultaneously, integration trials are in progress with the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, the IAF’s frontline fighter jet. These "captive carriage" trials involve flying with the missile mounted to ensure perfect communication between the aircraft's systems and the Gandiva.

The Gandiva’s operational range of approximately 340 km at high altitude places it ahead of missiles currently operated by regional adversaries, such as China’s PL-15 and Pakistan’s AIM-120C AMRAAM.

Following successful trials and integration with the Su-30MKI, the missile is expected to be adapted for other key IAF platforms, including the HAL Tejas, MiG-29, Rafale, and the future Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), ensuring its role as a cornerstone of India's air superiority strategy for decades to come.

 

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[Surfer]

Need to induct them fast before the next episode of Op Sindoor begin.

 

[sanket]

Long-range BVR is the need of the hour, as only the Rafale platform is limited to an upto 200 km range Meteor missile. MBDA France has denied integration of its Meteor missile on other platforms apart from Rafale, which makes the importance of long-range BVR crucial. Fewer Rafales have been inducted, in small numbers of 36, while other platforms have 100 km plus BVR. They can be outranged by enemy BVRs which are 125 km plus. Astra Mk2 and Astra Mk3/Gandiva can fill the gap with better NEZ. DRDO is doing great work in developing both these BVR missiles. No country is offering 125 km BVR missiles in the export market. Recently, Russia has offered its R-37M, but it will take time to induct. By that time, Astra Mk2 may be inducted in the coming years, followed by Gandiva.

 

[Akshat SP]

How and why are they considering top range of 340km at 20km when we have no aircraft capable of launching it at that altitude.

 

[Somnath Sinhababu]

It is still 3-4 years away from induction. Russia has offered their state-of-the-art R-37M hypersonic air-to-air missile capable of targeting 400 km away. The IAF should purchase it.

 

[lmao]

How and why are they considering top range of 340km at 20km when we have no aircraft capable of launching it at that altitude.

20 km is 65,000 feet. The Su-30MKI can perform a zoom climb (a maneuver where an aircraft builds up speed in level flight and then pulls up sharply, converting its kinetic energy into potential energy, allowing it to momentarily reach altitudes much higher than its service ceiling) to momentarily reach 65,000 feet and then launch this missile. The missile will then be guided by an AWACS with mid-course guidance.

There are limitations to this, though, because it will not be able to carry heavy payloads or heavy fuel, so its operational range will be less, and its weapon payload will also be much lower than the 12 it is designed to carry. But if used alongside an AWACS and in a specialized role, it can do this and get the 350 km range.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

We need Astra Mk2 and 3 faster. Our Sukhois and Tejas should be able to see and attack enemy aircraft first.

 

[Bks98]

ASTRA Mk3 (Gandiva) is right now the world's deadliest air-to-air missile. With this, our Sukhoi can launch this missile, staying inside India, which can blast Pakistani jets just taking off from their airbase 400 km away. This will make life miserable for Pakistan.

 

[Vajra]

How and why are they considering top range of 340km at 20km when we have no aircraft capable of launching it at that altitude.

Because a Su-30MKI flies at 50,000 to 55,000 feet during combat, and an Astra Mk3 has a range of 340 kms if fired at targets that are at 65,000 feet, ideally, if the Su-30MKI is flying at 55,000 feet and fires its missiles at a comparable plane such as an F-16, the Astra Mk3 will have the full range of 340 kms at that altitude.

Also, Rafales usually fly at 50,000 feet when in combat, so they can use the full range of their Meteor missiles.

In combat, an ideal scenario is when a fighter fires its missile at a higher elevation towards a target at a lower elevation, which helps it to reach its full range and NEZ.

 

[Sandeep]

This is a very critical project and I’m glad it’s now moving to the testing stage. This is only the first stage of the lengthy tests as we will need to check the missiles performance with its range, speed, kill rate, technology and capabilities very thoroughly. This will at least take a few years to ensure it’s tested properly and works as it’s supposed to.

India needs to 100% indigenously design, develop and manufacture a broad range of missiles from Astra MK1-3, Rudram MK1-3, Brahmos NG, air launched subsonic cruise missile and a number of PGM, LGM, glide bombs etc. This will make us self reliant and we can stop having to make foreign expensive imports.