New Delhi: India’s next leap in air combat capability moved a step closer on December 29, 2025, when the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the Astra Mk-2 air-to-air missile for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
In an official statement on the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the government said, “Astra Mk-II missiles with enhanced range will increase the capability of the fighter aircraft to neutralise adversary aircraft from large standoff ranges.”
Within defence circles, the clearance is seen as a sign that the missile’s development phase has reached maturity and that the programme is approaching the flight-testing stage.
This approval comes after years of work on the Astra Mk-2. In April 2024, news agency ANI quoted defence officials as saying that work on the 120-130 km range missile was still in progress. It shows the complexity involved in building a long-range and high-energy air-to-air weapon.
From Mk-1 Success To Mk-2 Ambition
The Astra Mk-2 story traces back to 2014. After the Astra Mk-1’s maiden test on May 4 that year, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announced that it had begun work on a longer-range follow-on variant.
The original Astra was conceived as a 44 km-range missile with a “high single-shot kill probability”. The Mk-2 was designed to push that envelope, with the ability to strike hostile aircraft from distances exceeding 100 km. Over time, media reports suggested that both versions eventually exceeded their initial range targets.
What The Numbers Say About Range
Documents from the Bharat Dynamics Limited, the manufacturer of the Astra family, show that the Astra Mk-1 offers a range between 80 and 110 km, depending on launch conditions.
The range of an air-to-air missile depends on factors such as altitude, speed and the angle at which the target is approached. The longest ranges are usually achieved during head-on engagements.
Planned Astra Mk-1 tests included launches at different profiles, including from 15 km altitude with a range of 90-110 km, from 30,000 feet with a 44 km range and from sea level with a range of around 30 km.
Astra Mk-2: A Missile Built For Long Duels
Reports since 2020 have pointed to the Astra Mk-2 nearing the testing phase. The Times of India reported in November 2020 that the DRDO intended to begin trials of a 160 km-range Mk-2 in the first half of 2021. ANI followed up in February 2021, quoting government officials who said trials would begin in the second half of that year and full development would conclude by 2022. A later Times of India report dated May 7, 2022, said testing was scheduled for that month.
At the heart of the Mk-2’s performance is a dual-pulse motor. This design extends the missile’s reach and keeps it highly energetic during the final phase of flight, improving lethality and single-shot kill probability.
The longer range also requires more advanced guidance systems. Reports say the Mk-2 uses a fibre-optic gyroscope-based inertial navigation system for initial guidance, supported by a two-way data link from the launch aircraft or airborne early warning and control platforms. For terminal homing, the missile is equipped with a miniature Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar seeker.
What DRDO Learned From China’s PL-15E
In October 2025, the Astra Mk-2 programme received an unexpected boost. During Operation Sindoor, a Pakistan Air Force fighter fired a Chinese PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile that failed to hit its target or self-destruct. The missile crashed near Hoshiarpur in Punjab, leaving its AESA seeker largely intact.
According to sources cited by the Hindustan Times, DRDO specialists examined the recovered seeker and identified several features that could enhance the Astra Mk-2’s own AESA capabilities. The PL-15 is known for its advanced propellant, sustained speeds beyond Mach 5 and robust anti-jamming measures.
Indian experts believe the missile provides valuable insight into how its radar functions and how its miniature AESA seeker operates. They also see it as a way to understand how advanced propellant helps maintain extreme speeds and how its electronic counter-countermeasures work.
Reports also suggest that France and Japan have shown interest in studying the PL-15, with the United States potentially keen to analyse it as well.
As said earlier by defence analysts, the recovery of a near-intact missile represents a rare technological windfall for India and its partners. The PL-15’s failure to self-destruct is itself expected to be examined by Indian engineers.
What Comes Next For Astra Mk-2
It is believed that the DRDO may refine the existing Astra Mk-2 design by integrating lessons learned from the PL-15E analysis. If that path is taken, the start of flight testing could be pushed further out. Another possibility under discussion involves beginning flight trials while parallel work continues on a more advanced seeker.
These developments are taking place along with progress on India’s fighter fleet. The indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mk-1A completed its maiden flight on October 17, 2025, signalling a milestone for the upgraded jet that is set to replace MiG-21 fighters. The Tejas Mk-1A is expected to eventually carry the Astra Mk-2.
According to a detailed proposal under review by the Ministry of Defence, the Indian Air Force could acquire around 700 Astra Mk-2 missiles to arm its Tejas fleet and Su-30MKI fighters. The move would strengthen India’s indigenous precision air-combat capability at a time when regional aerial threats continue to evolve.
