IAF's Tejas with Gandiva and Meteor Missiles Poised to Dominate South Asian Skies, Forcing a Major Strategic Rethink from Pakistan

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is on the verge of a major technological leap that promises to fundamentally alter the balance of air power in South Asia.

The planned integration of the domestically developed Astra Mk3 'Gandiva' and the European Meteor long-range missiles onto the indigenous Tejas Mk1A and upcoming Tejas Mk2 fighter jets will provide India with an unprecedented aerial advantage.

This strategic enhancement, confirmed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), equips the IAF with the ability to engage hostile aircraft from well beyond the range of missiles currently held by neighbouring air forces.

This capability could compel the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) into a defensive posture, potentially requiring its aircraft to patrol as far as 200 kilometres inside their own borders to avoid engagement.

Such a retreat would severely test Pakistan's limited strategic depth, leaving critical military installations and airbases vulnerable to IAF strikes.

India's Homegrown Power: The Gandiva Missile​

At the heart of this new capability is the Astra Mk3, recently christened "Gandiva," an advanced beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Powered by a state-of-the-art solid fuel ducted ramjet (SFDR) engine, the Gandiva can travel at speeds of Mach 4.5 and strike targets up to 340 kilometres away. This range significantly surpasses that of China's PL-15 (200–300 km) and the American AIM-120D AMRAAM (120–160 km).

Its advanced guidance system and electronic counter-measure resistance make it a lethal weapon against high-value assets such as fighter jets, airborne warning and control systems (AWACS), and mid-air refuelling aircraft.

The Proven Meteor Advantage​

Complementing the Gandiva is the MBDA Meteor missile, already a proven asset on the IAF’s Rafale fighters.

Widely regarded as one of the most effective air-to-air missiles globally, the Meteor has a range exceeding 200 kilometres and also uses a ramjet propulsion system. This allows it to maintain high speeds throughout its flight, creating a vast "no-escape zone" for its targets.

HAL has confirmed that the Meteor will be integrated onto the Tejas Mk1A, starting with the 41st aircraft which will feature the indigenous Uttam AESA radar, and will be a standard feature on the future Tejas Mk2.

Tejas: The Platforms for Dominance​

The platforms carrying these powerful missiles are becoming the backbone of the IAF's fleet.

The Tejas Mk1A is a versatile 4.5-generation fighter equipped with the advanced Uttam Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, capable of tracking multiple targets at long distances.

The IAF initially ordered 83 of these jets and has received approval to procure an additional 97, demonstrating its confidence in the platform.

Looking ahead, the Tejas Mk2 will be a larger and more powerful medium-weight fighter, designed to replace ageing fleets of Mirage 2000, MiG-29, and Jaguar aircraft by 2030.

With a more powerful General Electric F414 engine and a greater payload capacity of 6.5 tonnes, the Mk2 will be able to fully exploit the extreme ranges of the Gandiva and Meteor missiles, cementing its role as a premier air superiority fighter.

A Strategic Dilemma for Pakistan​

The combination of these advanced missiles and modern fighter jets poses a significant challenge to the Pakistan Air Force.

The PAF's most capable aircraft, the JF-17 Block III and J-10CE, are armed with the PL-15E missile, which has a reported range of around 145 kilometres.

Unlike the ramjet-powered Gandiva and Meteor, the PL-15E relies on a traditional rocket motor, which loses energy in the final phase of flight.

This technological gap forces a difficult choice upon the PAF: either risk engaging IAF jets at a severe disadvantage or pull its air patrols deep within its own territory.

As analysts have pointed out, retreating 200 kilometres to stay safe from the IAF's new missiles would expose vital airbases like Sargodha and Jacobabad, along with other key army installations, to potential strikes with little warning.

 

[sanket]

Nice. Icing on the cake would be acquiring the S-500 system, which will give a further boost. Getting a license production line of the Meteor will be a great assistance in local supply and the ending of foreign supply dependency. According to the article, the Meteor Range is up to 300 km. First, it was started with 150 km, then 200 km; now it is revealed it has 300 km. That means its NEZ is even more than 60 km. The second major difference between GANDIVA and Meteor would be Cost. At least the Meteor will have twice the price tag of the GANDIVA Missile. By the time GANDIVA is inducted, let's say by 2031, Meteor will be handy. S-500, on the other hand, will restrict any fighter jet flying in the 500 km zone. The Rudram series would be of great help in destroying SEAD/DEAD assets, paving the path for fighter jets for aerial battle in the sky.

 

[Kris Uvach]

Don’t want to be Johnny Raincloud here but:

(1) India has not integrated the Astra Mk-2/Mk-3 (Gandiva) yet. That milestone is at least two years away. The Mk-1 is being tested currently, and we’re waiting for that result with bated breath.

(2) The Rafale does not have the Meteors (200+ km range) already integrated. If it were, it made no difference in Operation Sindoor. Why it was not put to use is anybody’s guess - IAF needs to have a bloody good reason why it wasn’t.

(3) PAF fields PL-15s and PL-15Es. This repeated canard that PAF only used PL-15Es is fooling no one, especially when they themselves have claimed it. Also, bear in mind they shall field the PL-17s in the next battle with arguably 350+ range in ideal conditions with a tech that builds on PL-15's proven kill chain. The PLs use pulse AESA GaN radars and INS, making them a serious force to reckon with.

(4) Underestimate your enemy at your own peril. But do the opposite and you shall win hands down.

 

[Aditya Khullar]

Nice. Icing on the cake would be acquiring the S-500 system, which will give a further boost. Getting a license production line of the Meteor will be a great assistance in local supply and the ending of foreign supply dependency. According to the article, the Meteor Range is up to 300 km. First, it was started with 150 km, then 200 km; now it is revealed it has 300 km. That means its NEZ is even more than 60 km. The second major difference between GANDIVA and Meteor would be Cost. At least the Meteor will have twice the price tag of the GANDIVA Missile. By the time GANDIVA is inducted, let's say by 2031, Meteor will be handy. S-500, on the other hand, will restrict any fighter jet flying in the 500 km zone. The Rudram series would be of great help in destroying SEAD/DEAD assets, paving the path for fighter jets for aerial battle in the sky.

No dude, why do you want to import more? Kusha is on track and will be in service around the early 2030s. What we need is more S-400s as a stopgap, and more work should be put in on the "air" part of the AF instead of the "air defence", since that is where we are lacking now.

 

[Aditya Khullar]

Don’t want to be Johnny Raincloud here but:

(1) India has not integrated the Astra Mk-2/Mk-3 (Gandiva) yet. That milestone is at least two years away. The Mk-1 is being tested currently, and we’re waiting for that result with bated breath.

(2) The Rafale does not have the Meteors (200+ km range) already integrated. If it were, it made no difference in Operation Sindoor. Why it was not put to use is anybody’s guess - IAF needs to have a bloody good reason why it wasn’t.

(3) PAF fields PL-15s and PL-15Es. This repeated canard that PAF only used PL-15Es is fooling no one, especially when they themselves have claimed it. Also, bear in mind they shall field the PL-17s in the next battle with arguably 350+ range in ideal conditions with a tech that builds on PL-15's proven kill chain. The PLs use pulse AESA GaN radars and INS, making them a serious force to reckon with.

(4) Underestimate your enemy at your own peril. But do the opposite and you shall win hands down.

Yes, our problem is always thinking the Pakis and Chinese are inferior to us, with inferior technology. Not the case anymore; China is decades ahead of us (yes, decades), and the Pakis are going to get more of their tech now that the Saudis are funding them. We're in a dire situation.

 

[Aditya Shrivastava]

Don’t want to be Johnny Raincloud here but:

(1) India has not integrated the Astra Mk-2/Mk-3 (Gandiva) yet. That milestone is at least two years away. The Mk-1 is being tested currently, and we’re waiting for that result with bated breath.

(2) The Rafale does not have the Meteors (200+ km range) already integrated. If it were, it made no difference in Operation Sindoor. Why it was not put to use is anybody’s guess - IAF needs to have a bloody good reason why it wasn’t.

(3) PAF fields PL-15s and PL-15Es. This repeated canard that PAF only used PL-15Es is fooling no one, especially when they themselves have claimed it. Also, bear in mind they shall field the PL-17s in the next battle with arguably 350+ range in ideal conditions with a tech that builds on PL-15's proven kill chain. The PLs use pulse AESA GaN radars and INS, making them a serious force to reckon with.

(4) Underestimate your enemy at your own peril. But do the opposite and you shall win hands down.

We have a critical analysis system for the wrong reasons. We should have it in defence production and meeting of timelines to demand transparency and accountability because there is none. Plus, we have several YouTube think tanks like Srijan Kalam, Def Talks by Adi, Jaipur Dialogues, etc., who show such videos which after seeing you will think India will become a superpower in defence production in 10 years; that is far from reality. Maybe for gathering viewers and subscribers they do that because people want positive things all the time. This doesn't do justice to the Indian public in the long run. Short-term happiness for long-term harsh realisation.

 

[Aditya Shrivastava]

No dude, why do you want to import more? Kusha is on track and will be in service around the early 2030s. What we need is more S-400s as a stopgap, and more work should be put in on the "air" part of the AF instead of the "air defence", since that is where we are lacking now.

I think Kusha is not a separate defence system. It's just a PR in my opinion. It'll consist of S-400, Akash SAMs, BMD systems like (Prithvi, AAD), SRSAMs, L-70 anti-drone guns, D-4 anti-drone laser weapons, etc., which we already have. Maybe we'll add S-500 systems later on. The only thing is we will change the name of the Integrated Air Defence System and call it Kusha. It is not a separate project. What do you think?

 

[Python]

I think Kusha is not a separate defence system. It's just a PR in my opinion. It'll consist of S-400, Akash SAMs, BMD systems like (Prithvi, AAD), SRSAMs, L-70 anti-drone guns, D-4 anti-drone laser weapons, etc., which we already have. Maybe we'll add S-500 systems later on. The only thing is we will change the name of the Integrated Air Defence System and call it Kusha. It is not a separate project. What do you think?

Kusha is a separate system like S-400, consisting of three interceptor missiles: M1, M2, and M3.

 

[lee]

Positivity is good. But, let us not underestimate other Nation's capabilities.

 

[Miraj 2000]

The real question is when, seriously? Every single year we see another article about Astra Mk-2, Mk-3, or Gandiva integration, and every time the timeline is pushed further. When will this actually be integrated? Shouldn’t this be treated as a highest-priority program instead of recycling press notes as if it’s the "first time"? The reality is we keep shifting dates, and then someone from chai-samosa aviation would come up to "clarify" project timelines that were approved years ago. Compare this with Dassault or GE; meanwhile, our so-called "bikhari" adversary is already fielding BVR missiles with double the range, despite having a defence budget that's barely one-tenth of ours. What exactly have we accomplished so far? Why aren't we taking this with the seriousness it demands?

 

[Sridhar]

I think Kusha is not a separate defence system. It's just a PR in my opinion. It'll consist of S-400, Akash SAMs, BMD systems like (Prithvi, AAD), SRSAMs, L-70 anti-drone guns, D-4 anti-drone laser weapons, etc., which we already have. Maybe we'll add S-500 systems later on. The only thing is we will change the name of the Integrated Air Defence System and call it Kusha. It is not a separate project. What do you think?

Project Kusha involves totally new indigenous missiles of varying ranges. You are probably confusing Project Kusha with Sudarshan Chakra, which has a multiple layer of Air defence.

 

[Bodhisattwa Ghosh]

Dear writer,
It does look like that pakistan has a missile which can.hit at around 200 kms and with mid course correction. Surely china has far more. Making ourselves convenient theories helps neither air force enthusiasts not the country as a whole. Gandiva is at least 3-4 years away from operationalising. There are no confirmation that MBDA Will agree with meteor integration, talks have started.