DRDO has made significant strides in advancing India’s air-to-air missile technology with the Astra MK-3, now officially named “Gandiva.”
Astra MK-3 Named Gandiva
DRDO has made significant strides in advancing India’s air-to-air missile technology with the Astra MK-3, now officially named “Gandiva.” This missile is a culmination of the Astra series, building upon the success of its predecessors, the Astra MK-1 and MK-2, which had ranges of 80–110 km and 140–160 km, respectively.
The Gandiva missile embodies the qualities of precision, power, and adaptability, much like the legendary bow of Arjuna from the Hindu epic Mahabharata, from which it derives its name. The Gandiva missile is powered by a Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) propulsion system, a cutting-edge technology that utilizes atmospheric oxygen as an oxidizer. This eliminates the need for onboard oxidizers, resulting in a lighter and more efficient design.
The SFDR system allows the missile to sustain supersonic speeds, reportedly up to Mach 4.5, over extended ranges of 300–350 kilometres, depending on launch conditions. One of the hallmark features of the Gandiva is its throttle-able solid fuel ducted ramjet. Unlike conventional solid rocket motors that burn at a fixed rate, the SFDR’s ramjet engine can modulate thrust during flight. This capability, achieved through a hot gas flow controller, enables the missile to dynamically adjust its speed and trajectory. It can accelerate in the terminal phase to out manoeuvre evasive targets or conserve energy for longer engagements.
