Opinion How A New Infrared Variant of Astra Mk1 Could Effectively Counter China-Pak Stealth and EW Threats in Close and Medium-Range Combat

The Astra Mk1, India's premier indigenous beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM), has become a vital asset for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), this missile, with its range of up to 110 km, currently equips frontline fighters like the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI and the Tejas Mk1A.

However, to counter evolving regional threats, including stealth aircraft and advanced electronic warfare, a proposal is gaining traction for the development of a new variant equipped with an Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker.

Such a missile, tailored for close and medium-range combat, could fill a critical gap in India's air-to-air capabilities and significantly enhance the nation's military self-reliance under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Addressing a Strategic Gap in Air Combat​

The IAF's current missile arsenal consists of long-range radar-guided missiles like the Astra Mk1 and short-range heat-seeking missiles for dogfights. This leaves a capability gap in the medium-range combat zone, spanning approximately 20 to 50 kilometres.

A modern, domestically produced missile is needed for this role.

An IIR-guided variant of the Astra would function similarly to the highly regarded British ASRAAM (Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile), which is used by the IAF on its Jaguar jets.

An Indian equivalent would provide pilots with a versatile weapon effective in both close-quarters dogfights and short-to-medium-range engagements beyond visual sight.

Countering Advanced Threats from Stealth and Electronic Warfare​

Modern air warfare increasingly features stealth fighters, such as China’s operational J-20 Mighty Dragon, and advanced electronic countermeasures (ECM) designed to jam and confuse radar-guided weapons.

Missiles that rely on active radar homing can be less effective in such an electronically contested environment.

An Imaging Infrared seeker offers a powerful solution. Instead of relying on radar waves, an IIR missile homes in on the heat signature of an enemy aircraft's engine and airframe.

This passive guidance method makes it immune to radar jamming and highly effective against low-observable stealth targets, which still generate significant heat.

An IIR Astra would provide a crucial tool for engaging stealth aircraft operated by China or those under development by Pakistan, such as the J-31 project, particularly in the contested airspace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Line of Control (LoC).

This new variant would also offer superior agility in Within-Visual-Range (WVR) combat. With a high off-boresight capability, it would allow pilots to lock onto and fire at enemy aircraft at extreme angles, a significant improvement over the IAF's older Russian-origin R-73 missiles.

Strengthening National Defence and Self-Reliance​

Developing an IIR variant of the Astra aligns perfectly with India’s strategic goal of achieving self-reliance in critical defence technologies.

• Reduced Foreign Dependence: The IAF currently depends on imported missiles like the Russian R-73 and the British ASRAAM. An indigenous IIR Astra would secure the supply chain, remove dependency on foreign nations and their export policies, and grant India full control over missile production and future upgrades.
• Cost-Effectiveness: The Astra Mk1 is significantly cheaper to produce, costing an estimated <span>₹7-8</span> crore per unit, compared to imported alternatives like the French MICA-IR, which can cost over <span>₹10</span> crore. Developing a new variant using the existing Astra airframe and propulsion system would minimise development costs and allow for mass production by agencies like Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
• Export Potential: A high-performance, cost-effective Indian missile would have strong export potential. Nations in Asia, Africa, and South America seeking to modernise their air forces could become potential customers, boosting India's standing as a global defence supplier.

A Technically Achievable Goal for DRDO​

The development of this missile is well within the technical capabilities of the DRDO. The project would leverage the proven success of the existing Astra missile platform.

The Astra Mk1's lightweight design and powerful propulsion system, enabling speeds of Mach 4.5, provide an ideal foundation. DRDO scientists could focus on integrating a new seeker without having to design an entirely new missile.

Furthermore, DRDO has substantial experience in developing sophisticated IIR seekers for other weapon systems, including the Nag anti-tank guided missile and its helicopter-launched version, Helina.

This existing expertise, likely concentrated at labs such as the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad, can be adapted for an air-to-air role.

Integration with IAF fighter jets, including the Su-30 MKI, Tejas, Mirage-2000, and Rafale, would be a streamlined process, as the foundational work for accommodating the Astra missile has already been completed. This would ensure a swift and efficient path from development to operational deployment.

 

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[Mc Addy]

Any thing with a tail pipe can be seen by IRST, that's infra red search and track systems for 200km plus , so if a missile also can see such tail pipe then it's good.

 

[Hawkeye]

When will Astra Mk1 be inducted? It's a good try, but this shouldn't delay Mk2 and Mk3 development.

 

[sanket]

ASRAAM has already been manufactured under local licence production. There was news about Astra CCM being developed in the future a few years ago. There is no update on that too.

 

[Jabberwock]

Python-5 should have the edge in engaging maneuverable targets. It doesn't rely on thrust vectoring like the ASRAAM which, once the rocket's fuel burns out, loses its steering capabilities. Instead, it has 20 surface vectors that give it the edge in dogfights. It also has the capability to shoot a trailing fighter jet behind the aircraft. I highly doubt the ASRAAM has a range of 50 km, most likely 15 km.

 

[Radha Ramanan]

I am an ardent fan of having IIR medium-range missiles due to the fact that more than 80% of all air-to-air kills have been by IR-guided missiles. Only of late, after the advent of the AMRAAM, the ratio is being addressed slowly. During the Vietnam War, the Falklands War, Indo-Pak Wars, Israeli-Arab Wars, and many others, the IR-guided missiles reigned supreme. But in Op Sindoor, all missiles fired seemed to be radar-guided.

Radar-guided missiles are easier to jam as they have to be constantly updated by the fighter that fires it till the missile goes "pitbull," i.e., starts homing on the target using its own radar. This was evident in the Balakot air skirmish where all the AMRAAMs fired at the Su-30MKI were jammed and evaded. Varthaman, in his haste to get a kill, separated from his buddy who had the EL-8222 jamming pod that could have covered for him and deflected the AMRAAM. Each buddy pair has one jammer that takes care of both of them. In that, he entered the no-escape zone of the AMRAAM and got shot down. Ultimately, he got an F-16 kill as well with the IR R-73.

We have the very good Python 5 and the very fast ASRAAM. What we need is a medium-range IIR missile that is very hard to jam like all IIR missiles. Imaging missiles are hard to escape from once they lock up, and the only way to escape is to have a DIRCM (Directional InfraRed CounterMeasure) that beams a laser onto the homing head of the IR missile. Flares are also useless. Till date, there are no fighter-borne DIRCM pods. All of them are either large platform-specific or for helis. Israel, Italy, and the US were the first ones to develop the DIRCM. All El Al passenger aircraft have the DIRCM installed on them.

 

[Radha Ramanan]

The Russians were the first to develop medium-range IR missiles, adopting an air combat philosophy of launching a radar-guided missile followed by an IR-guided missile. This strategy capitalized on the enemy pilot's focus on evading the initial radar-guided threat, allowing the IR-guided missile to silently pursue for a stealthy and highly probable kill, aiming for a 100% probability of success. It's noteworthy that this effective strategy hasn't been widely adopted by others.

Indeed, IIR (Imaging Infrared) missiles are considered the most reliable kill-shot against stealth aircraft because stealth fighters cannot fully suppress their engine IR signatures, despite efforts by nations like the US to minimize them. Modern fighters, such as the Rafale and Typhoon, are equipped with IRST (Infrared Search and Track) systems that can detect IR signatures of other fighters, including stealth aircraft, up to 100 km away. Recognizing the limitations of electronic warfare against radar and the critical need for situational awareness, the US is integrating the Legion IIR IRST Pod into its fighters. This underbelly-mounted pod can detect distant fighters, and when two such data-linked pods work in tandem, they can triangulate an IR target, providing weapons-grade target solutions for head-on missile engagements. This underscores the significant importance of medium-range IIR missiles.

India possesses considerable expertise in IIR missile technology, stemming from projects like Helina, MPATGM, and VSHORADS. Converting the radar head of the ASTRA missile to an IIR head is a feasible endeavor, and India could also seek assistance from Israel, a leader in future missile technology. While an IIR head, being round rather than pointed like a radar-guided Astra, might lead to a reduced range, India has domestic capabilities to support this. For instance, TONBO, a private company in Bengaluru specializing in IR technology, is recognized for its excellence in IR video processing, a core component of IR missiles.

 

[Kira]

ASRAAM has already been manufactured under local licence production. There was news about Astra CCM being developed in the future a few years ago. There is no update on that too.

I believe since the IAF already has ready access to ASRAAM, MICA, and Python, it's not a big priority to develop shorter-range missiles. So, they should first concentrate on getting Astra Mk-2 ready quickly as the IAF is already severely outgunned by the PL-15, which is not only capable but also much cheaper than any foreign long-range BVR missile available to India. Since the Astra Mk-1 is already on the backfoot, the IAF and DRDO + BDL + private sector firms should focus on getting the Astra Mk-2 ready for mass production within the next few years. Having domestic WVR or IR-guided missiles would be ideal, but it's not a strict necessity given the options available and the main threat being PL-15 touting PAF and PLAAF jets.

 

[Maxo]

Unless MORONITY BE A VIRUS , IT CANNOT HAVE EXCUSE OF EXCEPTIONALITY .... Morons apart , any missile under 100kms becomes a drag , burden & a pure defensive weapon. Unless 100 million platforms now be at the mercy of save my arse missiles nevetmid reduction of 20- 30 % weapons space .... WHY NOT HAVE AN DEW SYSTEM PROVIDING 5 KMS SAFE ZONE ACROSS AZIMUTH - non-issues of waste besides performance concerns..... Indian on borrowed mindset cannot set own novation course per a balanced performing platform creation.... is why capable minds inability to harness Russia minds , exploit russian Evo system fails the India progress drastically ..... Have built in defensive systems of cheap & rechnology neutralizing shine , is when offensive abilities matures ..... zombie tag alongs too would be a disaster in ts present avatar .. dorks !!!

 

[Sandeep]

India was developing the Astra IR which would be used as a WVR/BVR type of missile. This will be our short range missile and cover a range below the 110km range of the Astra MK1 missile. It’s more complicated and difficult to develop because of the fast speed of the jet and missile which doesn’t leave much time for the missile to lock on to the threat.

 

[Leo red]

Future war will be beyond visual range but this is also must in case any enemy penetrate air defence they will dance with this missiles specially stealth fighters. Any option of targeting drones with low cost missiles. I think that's too is must.

 

[P.K Senapati]

Technology required for IR missiles is IIR, Imaging Infrared. DRDO and ISRO have some experience with this sensor. It will require further improvement for using it in IIR-based air-to-air missiles or IIR-based air defence surface-to-air missiles.

The advantage of this type of seeker is that they cannot be jammed by any EW system. For a better chance of detectability, use a dual-band sensor.

To avoid delay, initially get these IIR missile sensors imported in a few numbers from Russia, France, or Germany.

 

[Shawnone India]

@Radha Ramanan Valid observations: But is there any chance to get so close to any enemy fighter jet? Long-range BVR changes the entire scenario. The word "dogfight" looks like a dictionary word in today's scenario.

 

[Radha Ramanan]

@Radha Ramanan Valid observations: But is there any chance to get so close to any enemy fighter jet? Long-range BVR changes the entire scenario. The word "dogfight" looks like a dictionary word in today's scenario.

Quite true, as at least in the India-Pak scenario, both countries have AWACS that pick up targets well before they reach close-combat ranges for a dogfight. Fighters are vectored to the enemy far away and start shooting from the maximum range of their radar-guided missiles, like what Pakistan did and shot a Rafale down, at least as we know. Also, the game seems to be, in the Pakistan scenario, to shoot as many missiles at the enemy, irrespective of whether they are going to hit or be jammed, as they did in Balakot or Sidewinder. Given these circumstances, I feel the day of dogfighting is over. All new Pakistan fighters are equipped with AESA radars and missiles having AESA seekers, which is a deadly combination, as we realized the hard way.

I would be surprised if there is a merge leading to a dogfight with CCM missiles. We will get the AESA radar and AESA missile combo only when the AESA-equipped ASTRA-2 missiles come in along with the LCA Mk1A with Israeli 2052 and after that, the desi Uttam radar. They are still some time away as they are being flight tested. Until then, unfortunately, Pakistan has a distinct advantage, in my opinion.