New Delhi: India is preparing to sign one of its most consequential air-combat upgrade agreements in recent years, as New Delhi and Moscow near the final lap of a deal for around 300 R-37M very-long-range air-to-air missiles. Senior officials involved in the discussions describe the negotiations as almost complete, and they expect the first deliveries to reach the Indian Air Force (IAF) within the next 12 to 18 months.
The decision is influenced by what unfolded during ‘Operation Sindoor’ in May 2025, when the IAF realised that its Su-30MKI fighters required a weapon with far greater reach than the systems commonly used across South Asian airspace.
Pilots who took part in the operation said that their Flankers often found themselves in a difficult position when facing Pakistan Air Force J-10CEs armed with the Chinese-built PL-15 missile. With the PL-15 regularly performing engagements in the 180 to 200 km envelope, India recognised the need for a fresh capability that restores the BVR advantage it once took for granted.
Officers familiar with the new procurement say the R-37M, which is known to NATO forces as the AA-13 Axehead, fills that gap. The missile’s confirmed ability to engage aerial targets beyond 300 km places it in a category of its own, and pilots view it as the tool that finally gives the Su-30MKI a genuine “first-look, first-shot, first-kill” reach.
They believe this advantage will allow IAF crews to engage hostile aircraft from distances that have previously been out of reach, especially during tense standoffs along contested air corridors.
Among weapons specialists in multiple air forces, the R-37M has earned a reputation as an “AWACS killer” because of its unusual combination of speed, altitude performance and seeker technology.
The missile has been designed for high-speed and high-altitude launches from platforms such as the Su-30MKI. Open-source assessments describe it as a Mach-6 class weapon powered by a dual-pulse solid rocket motor. It carries a 60-kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead and relies on the Agat 98-1388 active radar seeker during the final leg of its flight.
This configuration gives it the ability to home in on high-value assets such as Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, aerial refuelling tankers, stand-off jamming platforms and even low-observable cruise missiles that attempt to slip through air-defence grids.
Engineers who have worked on Russian variants of the Su-30 platform believe the integration process for the R-37M on the Su-30MKI will move smoothly. The missile is already certified for the Su-30SM, a close cousin of India’s Flanker variant, which means the aircraft will not require structural changes.
What the IAF will need are minor software updates to the Su-30MKI’s mission computers and to its N011M Bars PESA radar. These upgrades will support the missile’s active seeker and its characteristic lofted launch trajectory, giving pilots a way to maximise both range and altitude during long-distance shots.
IAF technicians have already mapped out the positions the missile will occupy on the aircraft. The R-37M will be carried on semi-recessed fuselage stations that allow Su-30MKIs to fly with two such missiles while keeping the wing pylons free for R-77-1s and Astra Mk-1/2s, giving the jet a balanced mix of long-range and short-range engagements during complex missions.
Senior officers inside Air Headquarters consider this procurement an essential bridging step as India waits for its next generation of home-grown BVR weapons. One officer directly connected to the programme explained the logic behind the decision, saying, “With the Astra Mk-2 (160+ km range) still approximately two years away from squadron induction and the integration of the Meteor missile on the Rafale fleet facing delays, the R-37M is the only immediate option to deny the enemy use of their airborne assets at ranges of 250-300 km. A single Su-30MKI armed with two of these missiles can effectively sanitise an entire sector.”
Russian forces have already fielded the R-37M on the Su-35S and upgraded Su-30SM units deployed in their southern and far-eastern theatres. Reports circulated through military channels mention that the missile has scored kills against drones and cruise missiles from distances beyond 200 km, a performance record that reassures Indian planners as they proceed with their own integration roadmap.
For India, the R-37M will operate as a high-end stopgap until the country’s indigenous Astra Mk-3, which uses Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology, gets ready for full-scale production between 2030 and 2032. Until then, the IAF sees this new acquisition as the quickest path to reasserting control over contested skies and ensuring its pilots never step into a long-range disadvantage again.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
