A testimony to India’s self-reliance in the Defence Sector and progress in the arena of air-launched weapons was the inking of the Rs. 2971 Crores deal by MoD with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) on 06 June 22 for provision of the Astra Mark I Beyond Visual Range (BVR) AAM for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy (IN) under the Buy Indian IDDM (Indian Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category for capital acquisitions, as contained in the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)-2020. This category essentially covers the procurement of a product from an indigenous vendor that has been indigenously designed, developed and manufactured with a minimum of 50% indigenous content. IDDM, it would suffice to say, is the most preferred category under the DAP.

India’s Existing AAM Inventory

India’s existing AAM inventory consists mostly of ex-import, short and medium-range missiles. The current inventory of SR AAMs (with engagement ranges upto 30 Km) consists of the Soviet-era Vympel R-73 Short Range (SR) AAM, Israeli Rafael’s Python-4 and Python-5 5^th Generation SR AAMs, ASRAAM SR AAM from Europe’s MBDA Missile Systems and the older R550 Magic-II SR AAM from Matra of France, at or nearing obsolescence. The ASRAAM SR AAM is currently India’s leading air-to-air weapon, capable of speeds over Mach 3, with high manoeuvrability, fire-and-forget capability (FFC) and resistance to missile countermeasures.

The IAF’s Medium-range (MR) AAM inventory (BVR AAMs with ranges ≥ 50 Km) consists of, among others, the Israeli I-Derby and the French Mica AAMs, which are set to continue in service into the foreseeable future.  The 50 Km range I-Derby MR AAM, in operational service since 2012, is a BVR missile equipped with active radar homing and FFC and has been nominated as the primary AAM for the TEJAS LCA.  The Mica fulfils short and medium-range roles due to its unique interoperable Radio Frequency (RF) and Imaging Infra-Red (IIR) seekers, while its thrust vector control unit gives it superior mobility at dogfight ranges. Presently the upgraded Mirage-2000 and the Rafale aircraft mount this AAM. India’s Rafales can also mount the MBDA’s ramjet-powered Meteor BVR AAM. The consequent greater engine power accords faster speeds, longer reach and greater manoeuvrability to the Meteor, resulting in a relatively large no-escape zone and therefore greater lethality.

BrahMos Aerospace has also committed to developing the BrahMos AAM by 2024, which will be primarily focussed towards heavy aerial targets like enemy Airborne Early Warning and Control (AWACS) and other aircraft of similar dimensions.

The Astra BVR AAM

While the development roadmap of the Astra is two decades old, the critical need for a BVR AAM was underlined when, on 27 February 2019, a day after India targeted terrorist camps in Balakot across the Line of Control  with air strikes, Pakistani F-16s attempted to engage own aircraft including the Su-30 MKI, the latter scrambled in response to this Pakistani misadventure. While any aerial activity closer than 10 Km to the LC is considered an airspace violation by India, the F-16s fired the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range AAM (AMRAAM) which, with a max range of 70 Km (recent upgrades have enhanced engagement ranges to upto 160 Km), was capable of engaging aerial targets on the Indian side while staying well within Pakistani airspace. India’s Su-30s were then equipped with the Vympel R-77 MR AAM which was inferior to the AIM 120 in terms of range, guidance and countermeasures due to the far lesser number of upgrades received for the R-77 as compared to those of the AIM-120. In essence, therefore, was the immediate requirement of a true-blood BVR AAM with advanced guidance, propulsion and countermeasure features.

ASTRA Mounted on Su-30 MKI Prior to Flight:Source-overtdefense.com

Design.   The Astra is India’s first indigenous AAM developed by DRDO and manufactured by BDL. The AAM is capable of engaging aerial targets over a wide ambit, from 10 Km to 110 Km, thus making it a versatile air-to-air weapon that is effective in close-in dogfights and for stand-off attacks against strategic targets. The Astra is envisaged to be integrated onto the Su-30 MKI & MiG-29 Air Superiority Fighters, the Light Combat Aircraft TEJAS and the Mirage-2000 Multi-Role Fighter, as also the future indigenous 6^th Generation stealth-enabled Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) (briefly covered @ https://chanakyaforum.com/lca-tejas-ready-to-touch-the-skies-with-glory/ ).  The Astra is a BVR AAM, featuring multi-mode guidance (Inertial Navigation System {INS} & datalink for mid-course guidance and active radar homing for terminal guidance). The AAM’s active radar seeker can lock on to aerial targets with a radar cross-section (RCS) of upto 5m² from upto 15 Km away at an aiming angle of upto 45º, thus according greater engagement probability! The AAM is equipped with a smokeless solid-propellant motor capable of propelling it upto Mach 4.5 (faster than any known fighter aircraft) and upto an altitude of 66000 feet. Astra mounts a 15 Kg High explosive (HE) Pre-Fragmented (PF) warhead with a proximity fuze that does not require a direct hit to activate, thus further increasing engagement probability! The AAM has the unique capability of locking on to its target before OR after launch, thus providing significant flexibility to the pilot in aerial combat!

Development.   The Astra’s initial external design took a few cues from the Vympel and Matra AAMs in terms of dimensions and contours.  Astra hit the drawing board in the early 90s as a result of a feasibility study carried out into development of a BVR AAM, with complementarity then envisaged with the TEJAS Program. The Astra Program was formally sanctioned in 2004 with a budget of Rs. 955 Crores. The Program was not a part of India’s Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP), though the research pool and expertise were heavily drawn from the latter. The Astra Program was led by DRDO as the principal developer, with assistance from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited at Hyderabad. Astra was put through ground tests between 2004 and 2012 to validate sub-systems and assemblies including the airframe, propulsion & control systems, multi-mode guidance and night operability. Development trials of the Astra have been carried out with effect from December 2012 from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Orissa, when the AAM successfully intercepted a Pilotless Target Aircraft (PTA), Lakshya, thus validating the propulsion and guidance systems. The initial operational prototype was a relatively heavy SR AAM with a range of 25-40 Km and a weight of 330 Kg. The short, stubby canards of the initial prototype caused problems in control and performance, which were accentuated at high altitudes. In response, the Astra was redesigned two years later with an improved propulsion system and forward-mounted cropped delta-wings. A further redesign took place in 2013 in response to flight failures due to incompatibility between control surfaces. While ground-launched trials are imperative for stand-alone validation of sub-systems, launch from a fast-moving aerial fighter platform, simulating combat conditions, is the true test of operational compatibility.  Apropos, the Su-30 MKI was selected for captive flight (CF) and air launch trials, which were carried out multiple times, with the first successful air launch from a Su-30 MKI carried out on 04 May 2014. The fifth air launch was carried out on 19 March 2015, wherein Astra successfully engaged a PTA while negotiating a 30G manoeuvre, thus proving its capability to engage targets within tight turn radii, an essential prerequisite for dogfight engagement! Astra saw operational deployment when it was fired during IAF Exercise Iron Fist on 18 March 2016 at Pokhran, Rajasthan. 2017 saw a series of CF trials wherein the AAM’s existing Russian AGAT 9B1103M active radar seeker was replaced with an indigenous Ku-band seeker developed by the DRDO. The seeker was successfully evaluated along with its Electronic-Counter-Counter-Measure features, which are incorporated to ensure that the AAM is not rendered ineffective by adversary’s Electronic-Counter-Measures. Simultaneous warhead trials and supersonic launch trials also proved successful. On 17 September 2019, DRDO announced that the AAM had successfully intercepted a live target at a range of 90 Km, thus validating its BVR capability!

ASTRA Mark 1 in Flight:Source-swarajyamag.com

Post the above successful validation, the acquisition of upto 250 Astra Mk-1 BVR AAM for IAF and IN at approximately Rs. 7.5 Crore each (as compared to approximately Rs. 16.5 Crores per MBDA Meteor AAM!) was approved in July 2020 by the DAC, with the contract as above being inked soon after. Post finalisation of the contract for the Astra Mark 1, the DRDO is now concentrating on development/testing of the Astra Mark 2, equipped with a dual-thrust pulsed rocket motor, which will enable swift acceleration to high speeds in the ‘boost’ phase followed by steady controlled flight in the ‘sustain’ phase, thus improving accuracy and enhancing effective range to 160 Km. The Mark 2 will also feature improved resistance to jamming and a far higher indigenous content. The Mark 2 should see operational induction within the first half of this decade, as a precursor to fielding of the Astra Mark 3, which will feature a Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) Motor being developed by DRDO to propel it to 350 Km, making it a true-blood, world-beating standoff BVR AAM. Both Mark 2 and Mark 3 will feature thrust vector control, which will allow positive control over the missile’s flight, thus significantly contributing to mid-air manoeuvrability, especially at lower altitudes to engage close-in targets. DRDO is also working on the Astra IR Short Range AAM, which nose-mounts a passive IIR seeker for terminal guidance, allowing the AAM to autonomously detect, track and lock on to aerial targets at close ranges. The shorter range of the Astra IR means that the missile does not have to be intimately integrated with the aircraft’s avionics and can therefore be used with a larger variety of aircraft, as a complement to the Astra BVR AAM.

How Does the Astra Compare?

 The Astra, as an immediate comparison, can be weighed against the US  AIM-120C BVR AAM, which arms the Pakistani F-16 Fighter Aircraft and the Chinese PL-15 which arms the JF-17 Fighter and the J-20 Stealth Fighter, the former also in the Pakistan Air Force Inventory.

The AIM 120C enjoys a top speed of Mach 4 and a maximum range of approximately 105 Km, which places it inferior to the Astra BVR AAM on both counts. The weight of the Astra Mark 1 is 154 Kg, which is almost equal to that of the AIM 120C, making them both equally manoeuvrable with tight turn radius. The multi-mode guidance system on the Astra also promises superiority when compared to the AIM 120C. The smokeless propellant on the Astra would also afford lower detectability when compared to the AIM 120C.

The dual-pulse motor of the PL-15 would give comparable acceleration to propel it to a similar max speed of Mach 4.5 and a greater max range in excess of 200 Km. However, the export version, PL-15 E, has displayed a max range of 145 Km, making it inferior to the under-development Astra Mark 2. The Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar Seeker of the PL-15 would prove advantageous in target detection and tracking. The PL-15 is however a heavy missile, with weight of over 200 Kg, which would significantly impair manoeuvrability, especially at shorter ranges. It is likely to therefore prove inferior to the Astra in a close-combat situation.

Conclusion

The Astra AAM series of missiles enjoy a future-ready roadmap with the induction of the Mark 1 variant and the testing/development of Astra Mark 2 and 3. The multi-role Astra BVR AAM will give India the leading edge in close combat and stand-off targeting in the region, while playing its role towards reducing the dependency of the IAF on the volatile global aerial weapons market.

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Till now, the technology to manufacture missile of this class indigenously was not available. ASTRA MK-I BVR AAM has been Indigenously Designed & Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) based on the Staff Requirements issued by the Indian Air Force (IAF) catering for Beyond Visual Range as well as Close Combat Engagement reducing the dependency on foreign sources. Air to Air missile with BVR capability provides large Stand Off Ranges to own fighter aircraft which can neutralise the adversary aircraft without exposing itself to adversary Air Defence measures, thereby gaining & sustaining superiority of the Air Space. This missile is technologically and economically superior to many such imported missile systems.

ASTRA MK-I missile and all associated systems for its launch, ground handling & testing has been developed by DRDO in coordination with the IAF. The missile, for which successful trials have already been undertaken by the IAF, is fully integrated on the Su 30 MK-I fighter aircraft & will be integrated with other fighter aircraft in a phased manner, including the Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas). The Indian Navy will integrate the missile on the MiG 29K fighter aircraft.

The Transfer of Technology from DRDO to BDL for production of ASTRA MK-I missile and all associated systems has been completed and production at BDL is in progress. This project will act as a catalyst for development of Infrastructure and Testing facilities at BDL. It will also create opportunities for several MSMEs in aerospace technology for a period of at least 25 years. The project essentially embodies the spirit of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and will help facilitate realising the country’s journey towards self-reliance in Air to Air Missiles.

PIB Release ID: 1829750

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What is a MRCA?

 A MRCA could be defined as a fighter aircraft capable of undertaking multiple roles hitherto fore assigned singly to erstwhile fighter aircraft. Various assigned roles could be those of air interdiction, Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD), and Close Air Support (CAS). The MRCA would be an aircraft which combines two major roles of air-to-air combat and ground attack.

What is the Need to compare the Dassault Rafale and the JF-17 Block III?

In the convoluted security calculus of the South Asian Region, India and Pakistan stand out as predominant military powers. Both Nations vie for military supremacy in the land, sea and air domains, spurred by historical and modern day geopolitical realities. Both Nations have looked to the world market for world beating military technology, while simultaneously embarking upon indigenous programs to upscale military capabilities. The latest military acquisitions on both sides of the Western Radcliffe Line stand testimony to this fact. In the air domain, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is inducting the JF-17 ‘Thunder’ Block III MRCA, while the Indian Air Force (IAF) is in the process of inducting 36 Dassault Rafale MRCA- these would assume the role of frontline multi-role fighter aircraft for both Nations, primarily responsible for protection of the respective air spaces of these Nations.

Present Acquisition Profile

The Dassault Rafale, manufactured by French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation,  translates to ‘gust of wind’. The aircraft is a 4.5 Generation Medium MRCA (MMRCA), is equipped with twin engines, canards and delta wings and is intended to perform a variety of missions including  interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, CAS, deep penetration strike (DPS), anti-ship missions and nuclear deterrence missions. An order for 36 Rafale MMRCA (including 28 Rafale EH- single seater version and 8 dual seater version for the IAF) were placed by India in September 2016 with the French manufacturer for a cost of €7.8 billion with an option to deliver 18 more post completion of contract. The Rafale has been exported to several countries, including India, Egypt, Qatar, Greece and Croatia and has been used in combat over Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq and Syria. 26 aircraft have presently been inducted into the IAF including those being operated by 17 and 101 Fighter Squadrons.

The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Kamra Joint Fighter (JF)-17 (‘Thunder’) is the PAF version of the Chinese Chengdu Aircraft Company (CAC) Fighter-China (FC)-1 Xiaolong (‘Fierce Dragon’) and is a joint venture between these two firms. 58% of the JF-17 airframe, including its front fuselage, wings and vertical stabilizer, is produced in Pakistan, whereas 42% is produced in China, with final assembly taking place in Pakistan. By April 2017, PAC had manufactured 70 Block I aircraft and 33 Block II aircraft for the PAF. These aircraft were used in anti-terrorist operations in North Waziristan Province near the Pakistan-Afghanistan Border in 2014 and 2017.  Post this, 26 JF-17B Block II dual-seater variants were delivered to the PAF by December 2020. In December 2020, PAC began serial production of a more advanced Block III version of the aircraft with improved radar and avionics, a more powerful engine, electronic countermeasures (ECM) and enhanced weapons capabilities. The Block-III variant is a 4.5 (4+) Generation light MRCA equipped with a single engine and intended for a variety of missions including  interception, ground attack, anti-ship, and aerial reconnaissance. 50 of these aircraft are slated to be delivered to the PAF by 2024 at the rate of 12 aircraft per year, commencing in late 2021/ early 2022. As of this year, the earlier versions of JF-17s are operational in seven fighter squadrons at Jacobabad, Mianwali, Kamra, Mushaf, Peshawar, Rafiqui and Quetta.

Comparison

A holistic comparison of capabilities between the above assets would necessarily include multiple factors including Generation, aeronautical design, avionics, weapon systems and stealth/ survivability features, as enunciated below:-

Generation.   As mentioned, both the Rafale and JF-17 Block III are 4.5/4+ Generation aircrafts. This nomenclature refers to 4^th Generation fighters that have been upgraded with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, high-capacity data-link, enhanced avionics, and the ability to deploy modern weapons currently in vogue. These aircraft fall short in the area of true stealth technology, a facet of 5^th Generation fighters. It must, however be remembered, that these Generations (or splits thereof) are not watertight, formal or universally agreed upon and may often blur into one another. These divisions at best represent the widely acknowledged difference in capabilities over the development roadmap of fighter aircraft.

Aeronautical Design.  The greater maximum take-off weight of the Dassault Rafale would indicate requirement of greater lift for take-off and therefore requirement of greater ground speed/ runway length. However, this aspect would also translate into a larger payload carrying capability in terms of weapons and fuel drop tanks for the Rafale. Conversely, the Rafale also enjoys a superior rate of climb when compared to the JF-17, which, along with the close-coupled canard-delta wing (CCCD) design of the former, would aid in reduction of take-off/ landing distance, favourable for operating from airfields in mountainous terrain and essential for ship-based operations, should the Rafale be contracted for the same. The super-cruise capability, greater fuel-carrying capacity and greater combat range of the Rafale would aid in DPS manoeuvres, for which the aircraft is intended. The marginally greater speed and higher service ceiling of the JF-17 would offer it some advantage. However, the superior loaded thrust-to-weight ratio of the Rafale would translate into greater power available to the latter for aerial manoeuvres. This is further augmented by the CCCD design of the Rafale, which lends to greater manoeuverability due to variable centre of gravity and high agility even at high angles of attack, an aspect in which the JF-17 would lose out, due to its lower thrust to weight ratio and ‘cropped delta-wing’ design. The instantaneous turn rate (ITR) of the Rafale is reported to be greater than 36º/ second, while that of the JF-17 Block III is expected to be about 24º/second, thus allowing the Rafale a tighter turn radius and a quicker rate of turn, factors essential for success in close air-to-air combat situations. The Rafale also enjoys a greater sustained turn rate and greater G-Limit capability over the JF-17, giving the former an advantage in a dogfight/ evasive manoeuvre situation.

Radar & Avionics.  The Thales RBE 2AA AESA of the Rafale has a greater range and target track/ engagement capability in an adverse Electronic Warfare (EW) environment than the Chinese KLJ 7A AESA Radar on the JF-17 Block III. Coupled with the significantly smaller RCS of the Rafale, this facet would allow optimum use of Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile capability by the Rafale. The Thales AESA also comes with real-time generation of 3D maps for terrain- hugging navigation (offering increased survivability in a contested environment) and targeting. A further disadvantage for the JF-17 is that its AESA radar is air-cooled, which offers significantly less efficiency (and probably lower Mean Time Between Failure)  than the cryo-cooled Thales AESA Radar. The cockpit avionics and IRST of the two aircraft are comparable. However, the Rafale has a major advantage of voice-controlled cockpit commands, lending to lower pilot fatigue and faster implementability.

Armament.  The greater number of hard points on the Rafale would mean greater weapon carrying capability. Additional hard points could also accommodate fuel drop tanks without compromising armament. The greater stated ranges of the BVR AAM on the JF-17 Block III might not provide the latter significant BVR advantage due to its shorter radar detection ranges, which are well within the maximum range of the missile. Additionally, the PL-15 is a larger and heavier missile when compared to the Meteor: the Meteor will consequently be capable of tighter turns and is therefore likely to be better suited for engagement of hostile, high-speed fighter aircraft as compared to the PL-15. Lower target engagement capability of the JF-17 vs Rafale AESA radars (4 vs 8 targets) and lesser number of hardpoints would translate into greater ‘1 on 1’ lethal capability in favour of the Rafale. The Rafale will also integrate the SCALP (Storm Shadow) and BrahMos-NG Air to Surface missiles (previously covered in an article @Chanakya Forum https://chanakyaforum.com/brahmos-cruise-missile-indias-contender-in-the-supersonic-vector-race/ ), giving it lethal ground attack capability.

Stealth & Survivability

The Rafale airframe is composed of approximately 70% composite material with radar absorbent material coating. The airframe is designed with serrated patterns along trailing wing/ canard edges, concealed turbine blades and a serpentine like air-intake. This significantly reduces the RCS of the aircraft when compared to the JF-17 Block III, earlier variants of which have an all- metal body, with the Block-III variant also likely to have a comparably lower composite/ radar absorbent material element, if at all. While the JF-17 Block III is also likely to have a range of survivability features as mentioned, the Rafale is equipped with the world beating, fully integrated, multi- function ‘Spectra’ EW System. The Spectra provides multi-spectral threat warning capability against hostile radars, missiles and lasers, wherein it carries out reliable long-range detection, identification and localisation of threats, allowing the pilot to instantly select the most effective defensive measures based on combinations of radar jamming, IR/ radar decoy or evasive manoeuvres- all aimed towards providing unmatched situational awareness/ survivability. The Spectra also allows customisation and regular updation of the threat profile specific to the user country, thus allowing ‘tailor-made survivability’. Rafale also enjoys superior multi-sensor data fusion capability, integrating inputs from the sensors, AESA radar and Spectra. The Rafale can also deploy a towed missile decoy, capable of mimicking the aircraft profile and thus mitigating the threat from the JF-17 ‘s missiles with radar seeker warheads.

     SPECTRA EW Suite: Source-thalesgroup.com

Conclusion

A holistic interpretation of the comparisons made in this article would indicate that the Dassault Rafale is a superior MRCA when compared to the JF-17 Block III in aspects of design, avionics, lethal capability and stealth/survivability. This would provide the IAF a definitive edge over the PAF, with induction of similar numbers of these aircrafts in both Air Forces. However, the significantly lower cost of the JF-17 Block III would indicate the probability of large acquisition orders for the PAF beyond the present contract of 50 aircraft. This is likely to give PAF a ‘quantitative’ edge, should there be a significant disparity in numbers. This argument alone should act as a primer for subsequent development/ acquisition contracts by India, perhaps  a maritime version and acquisition of the advanced Rafale F4 MRCA, with advanced stealth and EW features, as well as expeditious development of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) 5^th Generation Fighter, earlier covered in an article @ Chanakya Forum https://chanakyaforum.com/lca-tejas-ready-to-touch-the-skies-with-glory/ .

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. State Department approved its first major arms sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under U.S. President Joe Biden with the sale of 280 air-to-air missiles valued at up to $650 million, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

While Saudi Arabia is an important partner in the Middle East, U.S. lawmakers have criticized Riyadh for its involvement in the war in Yemen, a conflict considered one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. They have refused to approve many military sales for the kingdom without assurances U.S. equipment would not be used to kill civilians.

The Pentagon notified Congress of the sale on Thursday. If approved, the deal would be the first sale to Saudi Arabia since the Biden administration adopted a policy of selling only defensive weapons to the Gulf ally. The State Department had approved the sale on Oct. 26, a spokesperson said, adding that the air-to-air missile sale comes after “an increase in cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia over the past year.”

Raytheon Technologies makes the missiles. The sale “is fully consistent with the administration’s pledge to lead with diplomacy to end the conflict in Yemen,” the State Department spokesperson said in a statement. The air-to-air missiles ensure “Saudi Arabia has the means to defend itself from Iranian-backed Houthi air attacks,” he said.

After the Trump administration’s friendly relationship with Riyadh, the Biden administration recalculated its approach to Saudi Arabia, a country with which it has severe human rights concerns but which is also one of Washington’s closest U.S. allies in countering the threat posed by Iran.

The package would include 280 AIM-120C-7/C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), 596 LAU-128 Missile Rail Launchers (MRL) along with containers and support equipment, spare parts, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and technical support. Despite approval by the State Department, the notification did not indicate that a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded.

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