News Brief
India's 100+ Km Range Astra BVRAAM With Indigenous RF Seeker Destroys High-Speed Aerial Target With Pinpoint Accuracy In DRDO-IAF Trials
Astra missile fired from an IAF Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jet (File Photo) (Pic via Wikipedia)
In a major advancement for India's self-reliant defence capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted flight tests of the indigenous Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) 'Astra' equipped with a domestically developed Radio Frequency (RF) Seeker.
The tests, carried out from a Su-30 MK-I platform off the coast of Odisha on Friday (11 July 11), involved two launches against high-speed unmanned aerial targets at varying ranges, target aspects, and launch conditions.
In both instances, the missiles achieved pinpoint accuracy, destroying the target, according to a statement by the Ministry of Defence.
The RF Seeker, indigenously designed and developed by DRDO, performed flawlessly alongside all other subsystems, validating the Astra weapon system's accuracy and reliability through flight data captured by Range Tracking instruments at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur.
The Astra BVRAAM boasts a range exceeding 100 km and features state-of-the-art guidance and navigation systems.
This milestone involved contributions from various DRDO laboratories and over 50 public and private industries, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented DRDO, IAF and industry involved in the design and development of RF seeker and stated that the successful testing of the missile with indigenous seeker is a major milestone in critical defence technology.
This latest breakthrough aligns with India's strategic needs amid ongoing normalisation in India-China relations following the October 2024 border agreement.
However, the Chinese military's PL-15 BVRAAM (200-300 km range) remains a direct concern for Indian forces along the LAC, while indirectly posing risks through supplies of its export variant to Pakistan
The Chinese-supplied PL-15E export variant, with an estimated range of 145 km, was deployed by Pakistan on JF-17 and J-10CE jets against Indian fighter aircraft during India's anti-terror Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
However, questions have arisen regarding the Chinese missile's effectiveness following the recovery of partial or nearly intact missiles by Indian forces, which suggested certain limitations in performance and susceptibility to electronic interference.
India is also working on development of advanced variants of Astra BVRAAM: the Mk-2 with a dual-pulse motor for 160-180 km range, and the Mk-3 (Gandiva) using solid fuel ducted ramjet propulsion for 190-340 km.
