Astra as a Replacement: India’s Bid to Capture the Market for Russia’s R-77
At the Dubai Airshow 2025, India officially unveiled and promoted its domestically developed Astra Mk1 air-to-air missile as a substitute for Russia’s R-77. This move comes at a time when many traditional buyers of Russian arms — including Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Serbia — have faced long delays and non-delivery of R-77-1 missiles since 2023.
In addition, the price of the Russian missile has tripled in recent years, rising from about $400,000 in 2019 to over $1.2 million. These challenges have opened the door for India to position Astra Mk1 as a viable alternative for operators of Su and MiG fighter families.
Read the full analysis of the R-77 missile HERE
It should be noted that Astra Mk1 is already in mass production by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), both as part of Tejas Mk1A fighter contracts and for integration into India’s Su-30 fleet.
The Astra Mk1 has a maximum range of 110 km, features an indigenous Ku-band active radar seeker, and is fully compatible with Russian launch pylons. An upgraded version, Astra Mk2, is under development with a range of up to 160 km, with future enhancements potentially extending beyond 200 km.
Reports suggest that after recovering a Chinese PL-15E missile fired by Pakistan and crashed in Punjab during recent clashes, India analyzed its advanced technologies — including a compact AESA radar, a high-energy solid-fuel motor capable of speeds above Mach 5, and sophisticated electronic countermeasures — to incorporate them into the next generations of Astra.
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