India's ambitious plan, known since 2018, to create with russia's help a long-range air-to-air missile capable of destroying targets at 350 km range and named Gandiva (also encountered as Astra Mk III) is shifting again.
As Perina Devi, DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) representative, reported in an interview with India TV, the missile will be ready no earlier than in three years. Note that in the exclusively positive story itself, which partly goes in English, they decided not to talk about previous work timelines.
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Of course, the reason for shifting actual deadlines is not named. Also, russia's participation in development is not mentioned in it, although this wasn't hidden earlier. As well as the fact that Moscow actively helped create Astra Mk I.
Recall that first work on creating a ramjet solid-fuel engine in India was reported back in 2018, when its first tests took place. Already in 2022, plans were announced to create Astra Mk III or Gandiva air-to-air missile and its target range indicator of 350 km, which is 1.5 times greater than the European Meteor missile currently available in Indian air forces with usage threshold of about 200 km.
At the same time, the means of achieving such range will be similar using a ramjet solid-fuel engine, development of which, as boasted in India itself, is going together with russia. Moreover, to simplify and accelerate development, this engine will be integrated into the currently available Indian Astra missile, which will retain all its main elements. That is, the entire essence of Gandiva development is actually only in the ramjet engine.
But obviously something didn't go as Delhi wanted and the deadlines for completing work on this missile are now dated 2029.
At the same time, India currently has a very powerful catalyst for this development Sindoor operation with clash with Pakistan in May 2025, when a large-scale air battle took place involving over 130 aircraft. And during it, the combination of long-range air-to-air missiles and airborne early warning aircraft showed its practical advantage.
Specifically, one Indian Rafale was confirmed shot down by Pakistani J-10CE from distance of approximately 200 km using long-range PL-15 missile (all Chinese-made). Moreover, Pakistani air forces had twofold advantage over Indian in AEW aircraft: 8 Swedish Saab 2000 Erieye and another 4 Chinese ZDK-03, total 12, against 3 EMB-145AEW Netra units with own modern radar, as well as 3 A-50EI units russian Il-76 with Israeli EL/W-2090 radar, total 6.
Moreover, even more important could be not the advantage in AEW aircraft themselves and capabilities of their radar complexes, but in integration into single circuit of fighter, missile and AEW aircraft with possibility of target designation and missile guidance.
And if for Chinese J-10CE fighter, Chinese PL-15 missile and Chinese ZDK-03 AEW aircraft, integration is quite expected, then whether Rafale with Meteor is combined with AEW aircraft available in India is an open question.
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