The Astra Mk-1 is an indigenously developed, all-weather Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), which is a type of weapon system. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), it is India's first homegrown BVRAAM program. Preliminary work on the Astra family of missiles began around 1990, and the project was officially launched in the early 2000s to reduce dependency on foreign missile systems for air combat. The missile was inducted into active service in 2019 with the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.
The Astra Mk-1 is designed to engage airborne targets at distances where the pilot cannot see them, providing a large stand-off range to fighter aircraft. It has a maximum range of approximately 110 km and can reach a speed of Mach 4.5. The missile uses a two-stage guidance mechanism: it employs a Fibre-Optic Gyro-based Inertial Navigation System (INS) with mid-course updates via a secure data link from the launch aircraft. For the terminal phase, it switches to an indigenous Active Radar Homing (ARH) seeker to independently track and destroy the target. It is propelled by a smokeless solid-fuel rocket motor and carries a 15 kg high-explosive pre-fragmented warhead activated by a proximity fuse.
The missile is currently integrated with the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fleet and the HAL Tejas. It connects to the broader family of Astra variants, including the extended-range Astra Mk-2 and the long-range Astra Mk-3 (Gandiva), which is based on Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet technology. A significant recent development is the contract signed on May 31, 2022, between the Ministry of Defence and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for the supply of over 350 Astra Mk-1 units, marking a major step in the Indian Designed, Developed, and Manufactured (IDDM) category.