With the creation of the Astra MK-3 missile, now formally known as the Gandiva, India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is strengthening the country’s aerial warfare capabilities. Inspired by the mythical bow of Arjuna in the Mahabharata, Gandiva is a major advancement in domestic missile technology and has the potential to revolutionize air combat, especially in the context of beyond visual range (BVR) conflicts.
Currently in development, Gandiva is anticipated to revolutionize the Indian Air Force (IAF). Frontline fighter jets like the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas are intended to carry the missile. With its launch, India will have one of the longest-range BVR air-to-air missiles in the world, outperforming many of its international competitors, such as China’s PL-15 and the United States’ AIM-174 BVRAAM.
Gandiva’s Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) propulsion technology is one of its distinguishing features. By using atmospheric oxygen as an oxidizer instead of onboard oxidizers, this advanced technology enables the missile to have a lighter, more effective design. The missile can purportedly maintain supersonic speeds of up to Mach 4.5 over long distances thanks to the SFDR.
When targeting targets at a height of 20 kilometers, the maximum range is 340 kilometers.
When the target is 8 kilometers above the ground, the lower altitude range is 190 kilometers.
Gandiva’s Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) propulsion technology is one of its distinguishing features. By using atmospheric oxygen as an oxidizer instead of onboard oxidizers, this advanced technology enables the missile to have a lighter, more effective design. The missile can purportedly maintain supersonic speeds of up to Mach 4.5 over long distances thanks to the SFDR.
When targeting targets at a height of 20 kilometers, the maximum range is 340 kilometers.
When the target is 8 kilometers above the ground, the lower altitude range is 190 kilometers.
Due to its range advantage, Gandiva can engage enemy aircraft from a distance that Indian missiles could not reach before, including fighters, bombers, cargo planes, refueling aircraft, and AWACS.
In order to continue developing India’s most sophisticated air-to-air missile, DRDO is fabricating four sets of two-dimensional (2D) air intakes for the Astra MK-3 ‘Gandiva’ ramjet engine.
The Astra MK-3, formally called “Gandiva” after the fabled bow of �na, is a next-generation beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) that is intended to greatly improve the aerial combat capabilities of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The missile’s Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) propulsion technology, which allows for sustained supersonic speeds and engagement ranges of more than 300 kilometers, is essential to its performance.
An essential aerodynamic element that controls airflow into the ramjet engine and guarantees ideal combustion and propulsion efficiency at different altitudes and speeds is the 2D air intake. In order to facilitate live-fire and extreme envelope experiments aimed at evaluating the missile’s propulsion, guidance, and aerodynamic properties under operational conditions, these air intake sets are being fabricated as part of the current prototype and validation phase.
Significant engineering hurdles have arisen during the construction of the SFDR engine for the Astra MK-3, especially in terms of integrating the latest seekers and data connection systems seamlessly and reducing ramjet technology for compact missile applications.
DRDO has made significant strides, including successful ground-based engine tests and captive carriage trials on the Su-30MKI platform, despite setbacks brought on by the intricacy of the technology. The current emphasis on creating multiple air intake sets demonstrates DRDO’s dedication to iterative testing and improvement, which is necessary to meet the missile’s lofty performance objectives, including a top speed of Mach 4.5, a no-escape zone that surpasses that of modern adversary missiles, and the capacity to engage highly valuable and maneuverable targets at long range.
After extensive IAF user testing, the Astra MK-3 “Gandiva” is anticipated to go into full-scale manufacturing by 2030. Validating the missile’s SFDR propulsion system and, consequently, India’s domestic capacity to deploy top-tier long-range air-to-air missiles will depend heavily on the development and integration of the 2D air intake components.
