DRDO's SFDR Propulsion System for Astra MkIII Missile Completes Ground-Based Testing, Awaits Complex Air-to-Air Flight Trials

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has achieved a significant breakthrough in its development of the Astra MkIII Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM).

The Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) propulsion system, designed to power the advanced missile, has successfully completed ground-based testing. This accomplishment marks a critical step towards enhancing India's air defence capabilities.

However, the transition from ground testing to aerial trials is expected to be a complex and time-consuming process. Integrating the Astra MkIII with various fighter aircraft and ensuring compatibility with their respective radar systems presents a considerable challenge.

This is particularly crucial given the missile's extended range, designed to engage targets beyond 300km for strategic assets like AWACS and in-flight refueling aircraft, and over 200km for conventional fighter jets.

The integration process requires meticulous testing to ensure seamless communication between the missile and the aircraft's avionics, especially the radar system responsible for tracking and guiding the missile over such long distances. Achieving precision at these extended ranges necessitates a series of developmental trials, which are inherently complex and demanding.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) official has indicated that the Astra MkIII is not anticipated to enter service until 2031. This timeline reflects the extensive testing and validation required to guarantee the missile's reliability and effectiveness in real-world combat scenarios.

The Astra MkIII is a cornerstone of India's evolving air defence strategy, aimed at providing the IAF with the capability to neutralize high-value, long-range aerial threats. The missile's advanced propulsion system and extended reach are intended to act as force multipliers, bolstering the survivability and operational range of Indian aircraft in contested airspace.

As the project advances, DRDO is poised to conduct a series of flight tests that will progressively build confidence in the missile's performance. Each test phase will rigorously evaluate different aspects of the missile's operation, encompassing launch, guidance, and terminal phase engagement. The delay in service entry underscores the meticulous approach necessary to develop and deploy such sophisticated defence technology.

 

[sanket]

Great work done by DRDO. For fighter jets, a 200 km range is effective, while for slow-moving targets like AWACS & tankers, over 300 km. Interesting to know the weight & length of the Astra MK3 missile, while Astra MK2 will be crucial by 2031, which is the timeline for induction of Astra MK3. Once DRDO masters the Astra MK3 missile, then a longer-range version will be developed for fighter jet targets beyond 200 km. With the GaN-based Virupaksha AESA radar being developed, the combo of Astra MK3 & GaN-based radar will be a nightmare for stealth fighter jets.

 

[FIDA INDIA]

2031?? All these years I was reading 2027😭.

 

[Radha Ramanan]

It is indeed a difficult task to validate all the parameters it was designed for. But the good news is they have proved the ramjet engine works, that's the basic requirement. The auto-variable throttle, the angle of attack during maneuvers, unlike solid fuel rockets that can pull 50g like the ASRAAM and Python missiles, is important. The ramjet engines are masked by the body of the missile itself at high AOA, thus disrupting the smooth airflow to the engine inlets and interfering with the shock wave in the inlet. Getting the optimum AOA and incorporating it into the software is important. The performance of the missile at various altitudes and speeds has to be proven and recorded. If a ramjet can fly at Mach 4 in the rarefied atmosphere at 40k ft, it can't reach the same speed for that given amount of fuel consumption at low level due to the density of the air at low level. Ramjets work optimally at higher altitudes, as the cold upper strat air at -30 C gives it more thrust. The thrust is better when the difference between the intake and exhaust temperatures is larger.

The fuze is another hurdle to be perfected, as the closing speeds to a target may be at Mach 4. So the timing of detonation of the warhead, along with the sensitivity and range of the fuze, have to be proven. Usually, it's a laser fuze that detects the target and commands the detonation of the warhead. If you see the fuze of the latest version of the R-74 CCM, it will give you an idea... continued

 

[Radha Ramanan]

The other main hurdle is the 2-way data link to the launch fighter. At extreme ranges of the missile, nearly at 300km, it is difficult to exchange information to and fro from the missile as the signal from the missile to the fighter is weak at those ranges, as there is not enough space and power to generate a high-power signal due to the size and electrical constraints of the missile. The Rafale has a 1-way data link to the Meteor missile as far as I know. An AESA radar is a must at these ranges as the radar signal can be formed into a tight beam to get better effective radiated power. Normal radars can't do that. The Typhoon and Gripen have 2-way. 2-way is better for better ECCM when the missile seeker is jammed.

India is going in for a GaN AESA active seeker that is already developed for the Astra 2 series. It is much better than the one on the Meteor missile, giving it inherently anti-jamming capability. Moreover, the data link signal to and fro can be blanked by the hot exhaust gasses emanating from the ramjet. Ionized air is opaque to radar waves. Meteor faced this problem, and it was solved. The antenna was placed on the rear fins. A ramjet missile is complicated and expensive to make as the intakes are made of titanium to withstand the aerodynamic heat and rigidity of the intakes. The Meteor cost about 4 million $ or more.

It can be morphed from a SAM, but the cost factor may be a hurdle. Mechanical integration for flutter analysis is needed. The Python 5 ran into flutter problems when it was tested on the LCA and then solved. Then electrical, then electronic to see if there is any interference with the missile seeker by RFI. Then the test firing. Long way to go, but we have a good start.

 

[Praveen]

2031?? All these years I was reading 2027😭.

By than china would have developed 1 light year range missile with a speed of light let alone 4 or 5 times speed of sound 🤣🤣🤣

 

[Sandeep]

This isn’t going to take that long at all.

Obviously they will have to test the missile from the air very well before they induct this across the fleet. Once it passes all of the tests and is certified then production won’t take that long at all. It might take a bit more time to induct this across all of the other jets but it will be installed on our Sukhoi jets straight away.

 

[kumar]

2031 or 2041 or 2051, what does it matter. IAF and our armed forces can take thier own sweet time testing the missile. After all, our adversaries will wait till the missile is inducted and deployed so that they can start a war. Wow.

 

[Shrujanam Syama]

2031 or 2041 or 2051, what does it matter. IAF and our armed forces can take thier own sweet time testing the missile. After all, our adversaries will wait till the missile is inducted and deployed so that they can start a war. Wow.

India is inducting Astra Mk2 soon. Astra MK3 will not be a critical factor for next 5 years as there is no adversary who would need it