Russia’s new competitor at the military level. Last week, India unveiled an alternative to the Russian R-77 missile at the Dubai Air Show which was widely criticized by its customers. The Indian Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has put its new Astra Mk1 medium-range air-to-air missile on sale.
Developed in India by a local company over six years, the Astra Mk1 has been authorized for production since last year, a run of 200 units for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
But New Delhi has no intention of stopping there. Originally designed to ensure the country’s independence in medium-range air-to-air missiles, the Astra Mk1 is now being offered by India for export. According to some local media, the DRDO manufacturer met with several national delegations seeking to replace the Russian R-77 missile.
Delivery delays from Russian competitors
Fitted on Su-27, Su-30, Su-35 and MiG-29 fighters, these missiles have experienced delivery delays due to production constraints and Russia’s priority on its own exports.
Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Serbia are the most disadvantaged parties. Especially since the price of the missile has tripled, from around $400,000 in 2019 to more than $1.2 million today.
This is why India launched a “discreet but decisive export offensive” according to local media at the Dubai Airshow. The Astra Mk1 missile is integrated, just like the R-77, into all Russian-designed fighters. It is almost 4 m long, has a range of 110 km with a maximum speed of 4.5, or more than 5,500 km/h.
