India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is advancing the nation’s aerial combat capabilities with the development of the Astra MK-3 missile, now officially renamed Gandiva. Drawing inspiration from the legendary bow of Arjuna in the Mahabharata, Gandiva represents a significant leap in indigenous missile technology and is poised to transform the dynamics of aerial warfare, particularly in the realm of beyond visual range (BVR) engagements.

Gandiva is currently under development and is expected to be a game-changer for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The missile is designed to be deployed on frontline fighter jets such as the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. Its introduction will provide India with one of the world’s longest-range BVR air-to-air missiles, surpassing the capabilities of many global counterparts, including China’s PL-15 and the U.S. AIM-174 BVRAAM.

A hallmark of Gandiva is its Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) propulsion system. This cutting-edge technology allows the missile to utilize atmospheric oxygen as an oxidizer, eliminating the need for onboard oxidizers and resulting in a lighter, more efficient design. The SFDR enables the missile to sustain supersonic speeds—reportedly up to Mach 4.5—across extended ranges.

Maximum Range: 340 kilometres when engaging targets at an altitude of 20 kilometres.
Lower Altitude Range: 190 kilometres when the target is at 8 kilometres altitude.

This range advantage allows Gandiva to engage enemy aircraft, including fighters, bombers, transport planes, refuelling aircraft, and AWACS, from distances previously unattainable by Indian missiles.

DRDO is undertaking the fabrication of four sets of two-dimensional (2D) air intakes for the Astra MK-3 'Gandiva' ramjet engine, marking a critical step in the ongoing development of India’s most advanced air-to-air missile.

The Astra MK-3, officially named ‘Gandiva’ after the legendary bow of `na, is a next-generation beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) designed to significantly enhance the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) aerial combat capabilities. Central to the missile’s performance is its Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) propulsion system, which enables sustained supersonic speeds and engagement ranges exceeding 300 kilometres.

The 2D air intake is a vital aerodynamic component that manages airflow into the ramjet engine, ensuring optimal combustion and propulsion efficiency at varying altitudes and speeds. The fabrication of these air intake sets is part of the missile’s ongoing prototype and validation phase, supporting live-fire and extreme envelope trials intended to test the missile’s propulsion, guidance, and aerodynamic characteristics under operational conditions.

The development of the Astra MK-3’s SFDR engine has posed significant engineering challenges, particularly in scaling down ramjet technology for compact missile applications and ensuring seamless integration with advanced seekers and data link systems.

Despite delays due to the complexity of the technology, DRDO has made notable progress, including successful ground-based engine tests and captive carriage trials on the Su-30MKI platform. The current focus on fabricating multiple air intake sets underscores DRDO’s commitment to iterative testing and refinement, which is essential for achieving the missile’s ambitious performance goals—such as a Mach 4.5 top speed, a no-escape zone that exceeds contemporary adversary missiles, and the ability to engage high-value and highly manoeuvrable targets at extreme ranges.

The Astra MK-3 ‘Gandiva’ is expected to enter full-scale production by 2030, following comprehensive user trials with the IAF. The successful development and integration of the 2D air intake components will be a decisive factor in validating the missile’s SFDR propulsion system and, by extension, India’s indigenous capability to field world-class long-range air-to-air missiles.

IDN