These weapons will be integrated onto the Su‑30MKI fleet over the coming years, transforming the heavy fighters into long‑range strike platforms with enhanced sensors and datalinks. This decision reflects lessons from Operation Sindoor and the Galwan clash, where range and networked coordination proved decisive in shaping outcomes.
The R‑37M is designed to neutralise adversary support aircraft such as AWACS and tankers from distances of 300 to 400 kilometres, flying at speeds close to Mach 6 with a 60‑kilogram fragmentation warhead.
By enabling Su‑30MKI fighters to threaten these force multipliers without exposing themselves to counter‑fire, India gains a credible deterrent against Pakistan and China’s aerial surveillance and refuelling assets. This capability directly addresses the vulnerabilities exposed during Sindoor, where long‑range precision strikes dictated the tempo of operations.
The missile’s integration is paired with the Super Sukhoi upgrade, which introduces the Virupaksha active‑array gallium‑nitride radar. With around 2,400 transmit‑receive modules, the radar can detect targets at 400 kilometres and low‑observable aircraft beyond 200 kilometres.
This provides a first‑detection and first‑shot advantage, especially when combined with target designations from Netra and Phalcon AEW aircraft. Secure datalinks allow Su‑30MKI fighters to launch missiles without activating their own radar, reducing exposure while maintaining situational awareness.
India is also advancing its indigenous Astra programme. The ASTRA MK-2, expected to enter service in 2026–27, uses a dual‑pulse motor, reaches Mach 4.5, and covers an engagement envelope of 160 to 240 kilometres.
Bharat Dynamics Limited has already issued tenders for ASTRA MK-1 components and received orders worth about $350 million, with production lines in Hyderabad and Medak mobilised to deliver between 50 and 100 missiles per year. This industrial ramp‑up ensures sustained supply for frontline squadrons, reinforcing India’s ability to maintain pressure in extended conflicts.
Further development of the ASTRA MK-3, named Gandiva, introduces ramjet propulsion for intercepts out to 340 kilometres. Operational integration is envisaged towards the end of the decade, complementing the ASTRA MK-2’s intermediate range and the R‑37M’s very‑long‑range reach.
Together, these layers provide India with a coherent set of beyond‑visual‑range options, enabling flexible responses against both Pakistani and Chinese threats. Gandiva’s high terminal energy ensures effectiveness against manoeuvring targets, strengthening India’s interception window well forward of the front line.
National mastery of gallium‑nitride semiconductors by SSPL and GAETEC laboratories secures supply for radars and seekers. GaN technology, with its wide bandgap and high power density, supports sensors that retain performance at temperatures beyond 250 °C.
This enhances jamming resistance and terminal lock stability, critical in contested environments where electronic warfare is a constant factor. Such advances ensure India’s systems remain resilient against Chinese and Pakistani attempts to degrade sensor networks.
On the Pakistani side, reports indicate integration of more than 20 of the planned 36 J‑10C fighters armed with PL‑15E missiles, whose export range is estimated at 145 kilometres. China is also expected to deliver up to 40 J‑35 aircraft by mid‑2026, potentially compatible with the PL‑15 and, according to unconfirmed reports, the PL‑17.
These developments highlight the urgency for India to consolidate its long‑range missile arsenal. By fielding the R‑37M, ASTRA MK-2, and Gandiva, India ensures its fighters can out‑range adversaries, neutralise support assets, and dominate contested airspace.
The operational ramp‑up will depend on completed system and network integrations, including firing validations, avionics upgrades, and common procedures with airborne surveillance assets and ground stations.
These milestones will determine how quickly the order portfolio translates into squadron‑level capability.
Once achieved, India will possess a layered missile architecture that secures deterrence and operational superiority, ensuring that in future conflicts resembling Galwan or Sindoor, the Indian Air Force can dictate the terms of engagement from the outset.
IDN (With Agency Inputs)
