The Naval Anti‑Ship Missile – Medium Range (NASM‑MR) has reached a significant program milestone with the completion of its integration on the Indian Navy’s MiG‑29K carrier‑borne fighter. This development marks an important step in India’s effort to indigenise long‑range maritime strike capabilities, paving the way for forthcoming developmental flight trials.

The integration process, confirmed through recent program imagery and internal updates, establishes the missile’s compatibility with the multi‑role MiG‑29K platform, demonstrating successful electrical and mechanical interface validation.

Designed as a subsonic, sea‑skimming missile with an estimated range of around 300 kilometers, the NASM‑MR will allow naval combat aircraft to strike surface targets well beyond visual range. It fulfils the requirement for a domestically developed, lightweight standoff anti‑ship weapon—especially suited for multiple carriage configurations where the heavier BrahMos cannot be employed.


This flexibility enhances a fighter’s mission endurance and sortie efficiency, enabling saturation attacks or coordinated strikes across distributed fleets.

In operational terms, the NASM‑MR serves as an intermediate tier between DRDO’s short‑range NASM‑SR (with a range of roughly 55 kilometers) and long‑range cruise missile systems like BrahMos. 

It will offer the Navy a versatile tool for engaging warships, transports, and other maritime assets, particularly in contested littoral or open‑sea environments where agile sea‑skimming and precision targeting are essential. The missile’s flight profile is optimised to remain below radar horizons, reducing the likelihood of interception and improving penetration against advanced shipborne air defence systems.

The upcoming test campaign will focus on validating safe carriage, separation dynamics, and seeker head performance under realistic flight conditions. These trials are expected to progressively evolve from captive carry and separation tests to live‑fire evaluations, ensuring reliable target acquisition and terminal homing capability.

Upon successful qualification, the weapon will be cleared for operational use on the MiG‑29K fleet, and later adapted for the Navy’s incoming Rafale M aircraft under a common maritime strike architecture.

Strategically, the NASM‑MR strengthens the Indian Navy’s ongoing anti‑ship warfare modernisation drive by diversifying its missile inventory and reducing reliance on imported systems. It is part of a broader indigenous missile ecosystem that also includes the NASM‑SR and the forthcoming long‑range air‑launched variants.

Together, these weapons form a comprehensive, layered maritime strike capability—balancing payload, range, and platform flexibility across India’s carrier aviation and maritime patrol assets.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)