India’s DAC (Defense Acquisition Council) on December 29, 2025, accorded AoN (Acceptance of Necessity) for the procurement of the Astra Mk-2 missile for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The PIB press release announcing the AoN stated, “Astra Mk-II missiles with enhanced range will increase the capability of the fighter aircraft to neutralise adversary aircraft from large standoff ranges.”
The AoN likely indicates that the development work is complete and the missile is ready for flight testing.
News agency ANI reported on April 17, 2024, quoting defence officials, that work on developing the 120–130 km-range Astra Mk-2 air-to-air missile is ongoing.
Development History
Development of the Astra Mk-2 started in 2014.
Following the maiden test of the Astra Mk-1 air-to-air missile on May 4, 2014, DRDO announced that it was already working on a Mk-2 variant of the Astra missile with a greater range.
Astra was initially conceived as a 44 km-range missile with “high single-shot kill probability,” while its Mk-2 version was projected to strike adversary aircraft over 100 km away.
However, both missiles are reported to have longer ranges in media reports.
Missile Range
According to documents from Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), which manufactures the Astra missile, the Astra Mk-1 missile has a range of 80–110 km.
The range of an air-to-air missile varies significantly with launch conditions, such as altitude and target aspect, with the maximum typically cited at around 110 km in head-on engagements.
Planned tests of the Astra Mk-1 missile included launches at: 15 km altitude with a 90–110 km range. 30,000 ft altitude with a 44 km range. Sea level with a 30 km range.
Astra Mk-2:
Since 2020, several reports have indicated that the Astra Mk-2 would soon be flight-tested.
The Times of India reported in November 2020 that DRDO planned to begin testing the Mk-2 version of Astra, with a range of 160 km, in the first half of 2021.
In February 2021, ANI reported, quoting government officials, that trials of Astra Mk-2 would start in the second half of 2021 and that the missile would be fully developed by 2022.
The Times of India reported on May 7, 2022, that the Astra Mk-2 missile would be tested in May 2022.
Astra Mk-2 Features
The Astra Mk-2 features a dual-pulse motor that not only gives it greater range than the Astra Mk-1 missile but also makes it more energetic during end-game manoeuvring, increasing lethality and single-shot kill probability (SSKP).
The longer range of the Astra Mk-2 requires more advanced guidance and RF seeker capabilities than the Mk-1.
According to reports, the Mk-2 uses a fibre-optic gyroscope (FOG)-based inertial navigation system (INS) for initial trajectory management. It features a two-way data link from the launch aircraft or Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) platforms.
For terminal homing, it uses a miniature AESA radar seeker.
Chinese PL-15E Features
In October 2025, Indian DRDO specialists reportedly studied the AESA seeker of the export variant of the Chinese PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile launched by a PAF fighter during Operation Sindoor.
The missile did not strike its target or self-detonate and crashed in Punjab near Hoshiarpur, with its seeker mostly intact.
Sources told Hindustan Times that analysis of the PL-15 seeker by DRDO scientists revealed several features that could enhance the capabilities of the Astra Mk-2’s AESA seeker.
In addition to a more advanced seeker, the PL-15 features a more advanced propellant that can maintain speeds exceeding Mach 5, as well as sophisticated anti-jamming capabilities.
Indian experts believe the PL-15 will provide insight into how its radar works, how its miniature active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar with advanced propellant maintains speeds exceeding Mach 5, and information on its anti-jamming capabilities.
According to reports, France and Japan have expressed interest in gaining access to the PL-15’s tech, and the US could also be interested in analyzing the missile.
As I noted in my previous article, the recovery of a near-intact missile is a tech bonanza for India and its allies. However, the PL-15 missile appears to have some technical issues, as the self-destruct didn’t work. Everything would be studied by indian experts.
It is highly likely that DRDO will tweak the existing Astra Mk-2 to incorporate advancements identified in the PL-15E missile. If that is the case, flight testing of the Mk-2 is unlikely to start soon.
However, it is also possible that the IAF may choose to begin flight testing the missile even as DRDO works on a more advanced seeker.
Meanwhile, India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A completed its maiden flight on October 17 this year. The sortie marked a key milestone for the upgraded variant, which is intended to replace MiG-21 fighters and will eventually be armed with Astra Mk-2 missiles.
According to a detailed proposal under consideration by the Ministry of Defence, the IAF could procure around 700 Astra Mk2 missiles to arm its LCA Tejas and Su-30 MKI jets, further boosting its indigenous precision-strike capability amid evolving regional threats.
- Vijainder K Thakur is a retired IAF Jaguar pilot, author, software architect, entrepreneur, and military analyst.
- Follow the author @vkthakur
