IAF to Equip Home-grown Astra Mk1 & Mk2 BVRAAMs to Rafale Fighters Soon, Ditching Imported MICA Missiles Effectively

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to significantly upgrade the combat potential of its Rafale fighter jets by replacing their current French-made MICA air-to-air missiles with domestically developed Astra Mk1 and Mk2 missiles.

This strategic decision aims to boost the IAF's aerial capabilities while reducing reliance on foreign suppliers, aligning with India's goals for self-sufficiency in defence technology.

The 36 Rafale aircraft procured from France's Dassault Aviation in a deal signed in 2016, currently use the MICA missile system, manufactured by the European company MBDA, as their primary weapon for engagements beyond visual range. The MICA system includes both infrared (IR) and radio frequency (RF) guided variants.

While considered effective in the past, the MICA's operational range of approximately 80 kilometres is increasingly viewed as insufficient for modern air combat scenarios, which often demand engagements at much longer distances.

Concerns about the MICA's range have grown, particularly in light of advanced long-range missiles, such as China's PL-15 (reported to have ranges over 200 km), being fielded by potential adversaries. This evolving threat landscape necessitates equipping the Rafale fleet with missiles capable of engaging targets further away and possessing stronger electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) to resist jamming.

Furthermore, the considerable expense involved in maintaining and upgrading imported missile systems has encouraged the IAF to favour indigenous alternatives offering comparable or enhanced performance more economically.

India's answer comes in the form of the Astra missile family, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

The Astra Mk1 Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) is already operational on other IAF platforms like the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI and the LCA Tejas. With a proven range between 90 and 110 kilometres, the Astra Mk1 surpasses the MICA. It features advanced technologies including an active radar seeker for precision targeting and smokeless propulsion.

Integration of the Astra Mk1 onto the Rafale jets has been approved, with Dassault Aviation responsible for the necessary software and system modifications.

Looking ahead, the DRDO is advancing the development of the Astra Mk2. This next-generation missile is projected to have an impressive range of 130 to 160 kilometres, positioning it alongside sophisticated international BVRAAMs like the American AIM-120D and potentially the Chinese PL-15E. The Astra Mk2 will incorporate improvements such as a dual-pulse rocket motor for better speed and manoeuvrability in the final phase of flight.

The IAF anticipates integrating the Astra Mk2 onto the Rafale fleet following the completion of its development and testing phases, which are expected around 2026-2027.

While MBDA has proposed its newer MICA-NG (Next Generation) missile, offering an extended range of 120-150 km, reports suggest the IAF is less inclined towards this option.

The primary reason cited is the significantly higher cost associated with the MICA-NG compared to the indigenous Astra Mk2, which is expected to provide similar capabilities at a much lower price, making it a more practical choice for widespread deployment across the IAF's fighter squadrons.

This shift underscores India's growing confidence in its domestic defence industry and its commitment to achieving self-reliance in critical military technologies.

 

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[Mc Addy]

Save more and live more is the real idea it seems.

 

[sanket]

Nice move, I have said several times French weapons are not that effective, apart from Meteor & Scalp, rest are not updated & very costly. From the last few years I have been saying Mirage-2000 fleet too should be upgraded with Astra BVR family, it lacks even 100 km BVR range. Rafale should be also integrated with Rudram series & NASM-MR which is an anti-ship missile compared to Exocet which is also an outdated short-range anti-ship missile, while MICA-NG will be outranged by Astra MK2 & in price Astra MK2 will be cheaper than MICA-NG. The next turn will be upgrading the Mirage-2000 fleet with Uttam AESA radar & Astra series BVR missiles just like the MIG-29 is being upgraded.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

How much Dassault will charge for integration of astra missiles?

 

[SURESH RAO]

This is what IAF agreed to receive for $9 billion. What can we expect from a 4th gen fighter jet? Most of the components are outdated. Even the AESA radar.

 

[Somnath Sinhababu]

If India chooses Rafale, then they should only buy the base platform, and the rest of the things like radars, avionics, and weapons should be our own systems. Otherwise, Russia is ready for any demand from India for the SU-57 platform.

 

[Predator]

Range wise difference between Astra Mk1 & Mk2 isn't too much, Mk2 should have been 200+ km like PL-15 (don't count SFDR/Astra 3!, it's a heavy missile).

 

[Rinku Pandey]

How much Dassault will charge for integration of astra missiles?

Let them charge whatever. In the long run it will be much more cheaper to use desi weapons. Vocal for Local.

 

[Rinku Pandey]

If India chooses Rafale, then they should only buy the base platform, and the rest of the things like radars, avionics, and weapons should be our own systems. Otherwise, Russia is ready for any demand from India for the SU-57 platform.

Gone are the days of Russian fighters. There service uptime is only 50% as compared to 80% of western fighters.

 

[Rinku Pandey]

This is what IAF agreed to receive for $9 billion. What can we expect from a 4th gen fighter jet? Most of the components are outdated. Even the AESA radar.

Yes, they could've inducted Mk1A and Mk2 in 2019.

 

[obiwankenubi jedi]

It's a good move, but the Mirage 2000 should also be upgraded, and with France continuing to use them, the spares and upgrades should also be secured for them from France.

And what about the 114 Rafale for MRFA? Are we serious? In that case, it's mandatory that they all come equipped with Astra Mk1, Mk2, and Mk3, with all Indian mission computer and weapons systems.

 

[Enforcer]

What do you mean by MICA is outdated? Haha

I understand the importance of using indigenous weapons but don't call MICA outdated.

 

[Sandeep]

It's a good move, but the Mirage 2000 should also be upgraded, and with France continuing to use them, the spares and upgrades should also be secured for them from France.

And what about the 114 Rafale for MRFA? Are we serious? In that case, it's mandatory that they all come equipped with Astra Mk1, Mk2, and Mk3, with all Indian mission computer and weapons systems.

The mirage 2000 is not in production and it’s technology can’t be upgraded beyond what we already have. They aren’t producing any spares or parts anymore as everything has shifted to the Rafale.

 

[Sandeep]

It’s essential that we install and integrate our own bombs and missiles on the Rafale so that we don’t have to be reliant on foreign expensive imports. We need to install the Astra MK1-3, Rudram MK1-3, LGB, PGM, Glide bombs, HSLD variants and Tara bombs. We will install them as and when they become ready and have passed all of its tests and trials but they need to work much faster than what they currently are.

 

[Venkat S]

If India chooses Rafale, then they should only buy the base platform, and the rest of the things like radars, avionics, and weapons should be our own systems. Otherwise, Russia is ready for any demand from India for the SU-57 platform.

Are you the official spokesman for Sukhoi Bureau? You blindly support Russian weapons without going through the merit. Russian weapons, however good, cannot and will not suit Indian military on all requirements.

 

[Akshat]

This is what IAF agreed to receive for $9 billion. What can we expect from a 4th gen fighter jet? Most of the components are outdated. Even the AESA radar.

AESA radar is outdated? And yet we as Indians don't even have an indigenous mechanical radar which is operational on any plane. As for France, its radar is the most advanced in the world, perhaps second to US. Even UK (or EF consortium as a whole, in fact) paid to get a study done and the result was that even the paid researcher refused to certify EF's radar as advanced and said UK won't get ahead of France at least for a decade, and that was if France stayed stationary with respect to radar tech. That's how outdated French radars are, bro.

 

[Akshat]

Let them charge whatever. In the long run it will be much more cheaper to use desi weapons. Vocal for Local.

No, it won't be, bro. Weapons made by DRDO are super duper expensive. We buy them only because they are Indian. DRDO-made weapons are among the most expensive this world has ever seen.

 

[Praveen]

What do you mean by MICA is outdated? Haha

I understand the importance of using indigenous weapons but don't call MICA outdated.

In fact, MICA is really outdated that almost every country which uses it hates them. Who will use an 80 km range BVRAAM when all countries around use between 100 km at a minimum? France can use them because they are surrounded by allies, but others?

 

[Enforcer]

In fact, MICA is really outdated that almost every country which uses it hates them. Who will use an 80 km range BVRAAM when all countries around use between 100 km at a minimum? France can use them because they are surrounded by allies, but others?

Wrong, MICA is the class of visual range missile with the longest range available in that category.

MICA weighs only 110KG while BVRAAMs weight more than 160KG

MICA has 2 variants, IR and Radar guided. If you compare IR vs IR nobody else can offer you 60-80KM range in IR.

For BVRAAM, France has Meteor.

 

[Loki 20]

No, it won't be, bro. Weapons made by DRDO are super duper expensive. We buy them only because they are Indian. DRDO-made weapons are among the most expensive this world has ever seen.

Astra mk1 costs around ₹7-8 cr and mk2 around ₹10-11 cr (estm) while mica em costs at ₹12-13 cr.

 

[Sambit Ranjan]

I highly doubt French will even agree with integrating our indigenously weapons with Rafale! As that will end the sales of French-made weapons for IAF. Instead of giving billions to France for a 4th Gen Jet in MRFA, better utilise that money in buying 5th Gen Jets and funding indigenous engines as we are capable of manufacturing 4th gen jets ourselves.

 

[Praveen]

Wrong, MICA is the class of visual range missile with the longest range available in that category.

MICA weighs only 110KG while BVRAAMs weight more than 160KG

MICA has 2 variants, IR and Radar guided. If you compare IR vs IR nobody else can offer you 60-80KM range in IR.

For BVRAAM, France has Meteor.

The maximum range of MICA is only 60 to 80 km, which means you cant really shoot enemies from far away. If we need to for upto 30km we have ASRAAM which weights less at only 88kg. Our enemies have 160km missile and you want our pilots to use these missiles to shoot our enemies. Do you have any common sense.

 

[Mc Addy]

Most BVR engagements from 1970s till date have happened in that 80km range as a heavy missiles itself is a mini aeroplane that can be shot down by another AA missiles so keep foreign and own missiles is a backup for each other .buy both, keep both and use what's cutting edge is right way. This defence planning of shopkeeper is really mind jarring as they don't want anything for real but for Shop display .