China, Pakistans New Fear: How Indias Gandiva Could Change South Asian Skies; Eliminate J-20, PL-15 Threats
Updated:Jul 17, 2025, 07:52 PM IST Evolution Of IAF's Airpower
1 / 7
The Astra missile series began with the Mk1 variant, which is already operational with both the Indian Air Force and Navy. The Mk1 is a 3.6-meter-long missile weighing 154 kg and capable of striking targets over 100 kilometers away. The Mk3, however, takes this capability much further—both in terms of range and technological sophistication. Supersonic Speeds
2 / 7
At the core of Gandiva's enhanced performance is its Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) propulsion system. Unlike conventional solid rocket motors, SFDR engines draw in atmospheric oxygen during flight. This not only reduces the missile's weight but also allows it to sustain supersonic speeds up to Mach 4.5 over greater distances. This makes the missile more fuel-efficient and extends its effective range to over 300 kilometers. Thus, India Air Force can eliminate Pakistani, Chinese targets without being visible to them. 'No-Escape Zone' Missile
3 / 7
Thanks to its throttleable SFDR engine, the Astra Mk3 dramatically increases the 'no-escape zone'—the range within which an enemy aircraft cannot evade the missile, no matter how fast or agile it is. This makes Gandiva one of the most lethal air-to-air weapons in its class, capable of neutralizing threats like stealth fighters, bombers, and airborne early warning systems far before they can pose a danger. Next-Gen Radar Seekers
4 / 7
For guidance, the current prototype of Astra Mk3 uses an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) seeker based on Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) technology. However, DRDO plans to equip the final production model with a Gallium Nitride (GaN) based seeker. GaN technology promises better power efficiency, superior heat tolerance, and stronger resistance to electronic jamming—vital advantages in modern warfare. Testing Milestones
5 / 7
In December 2024, DRDO completed successful ground tests of the SFDR system at the Integrated Test Range in Odisha. The missile has since moved into captive carriage trials on a Sukhoi Su-30MKI to test its integration with the aircraft's radar and fire-control systems. Live-fire tests will follow, evaluating Gandiva's performance in intercepting real targets at full speed and range. Once proven, it will be deployed across platforms such as the Su-30MKI, HAL Tejas, Rafale, and MiG-29. Countering China, Pakistan
6 / 7
The Astra Mk3 is being developed with an eye on countering regional threats, particularly the Chinese J-20 stealth fighters and the PL-15 long-range missile used by China and Pakistan. Despite challenges in miniaturising ramjet technology, DRDO aims to enter full-scale production between 2030 and 2031. This aligns with India's broader 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' mission, focusing on defence self-reliance and indigenous technology development. Beyond-Visual-Range Missile
7 / 7
A Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile is designed to engage enemy aircraft at distances where the pilot cannot visually identify the target—typically between 50 and 300 kilometers. These missiles use a combination of inertial navigation for mid-course flight and active radar homing in the terminal phase, allowing them to autonomously track and destroy targets with high precision, even in electronic warfare environments.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Blackstone drops out TikTok US deal consortium: Why the firm backed out? Key reasons explained
Blackstone has pulled out of a consortium aiming to invest in TikTok's US operations, adding to growing uncertainty around the deal, sources told Reuters on Friday. The investment group, led by Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic, both existing investors in TikTok's parent company ByteDance, had been seen as the front-runner to acquire majority control of TikTok's US business. The private equity firm's exit comes amid growing uncertainty and multiple delays in the TikTok transaction, which has become central to the US-China trade talks. The deal, originally encouraged under President Donald Trump's administration, aimed to give US investors an 80% stake in TikTok, while ByteDance would keep a minority share. However, repeated deadline extensions for ByteDance to divest its US operations have fueled uncertainty among potential investors and clouded the future of TikTok's presence in the country. Earlier last month, Trump signed a third executive order extending the deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok, pushing the cutoff to September 17. Earlier, in April 2024, Congress passed a law requiring TikTok to be sold or shut down by January 19, 2025. Some legislators have criticised these extensions, suggesting the Trump administration is disregarding legal requirements and national security issues regarding Chinese control of TikTok. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo ByteDance is considering various solutions, including selling or reorganising its US operations. The company, which generated $43 billion in revenue during the first quarter, has now exceeded Meta's quarterly earnings, Reuters reported quoting sources. The US consortium backed by the administration in the TikTok deal includes private equity firm KKR and new investors like Andreessen Horowitz, with Oracle also expected to take a stake. However, it remains unclear whether all original consortium members are still part of the bid. Earlier this year, the group was working on a plan to spin off TikTok's US operations into a separate American company. But negotiations stalled after China signaled it would block the deal, shortly after Trump announced new tariffs on Chinese imports. If a deal goes through, TikTok's US operations are expected to be run by a new joint venture between an American investor group and ByteDance, which would retain a minority stake. Blackstone's decision to withdraw underscores the growing uncertainty and complications surrounding the deal. The future of TikTok has become entangled in broader US-China trade tensions, with Trump indicating he would discuss the issue directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping. TikTok is already developing a separate version of the app for the US market. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Nvidia's China restart faces production obstacles: Report
Nvidia has told its Chinese customers it has limited supplies of H20 chips, the most powerful AI chip it had been allowed to sell to China under U.S. export restrictions, The Information reported on Saturday. Nvidia said this week that it was planning to resume sales of the H20 chips to China, though under the policy change the U.S. must still approve licenses for the export of the chips. The U.S. government's April ban on sales of the H20 chips had forced Nvidia to void customer orders and cancel manufacturing capacity it had booked at chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC), said the report in tech publication The Information, citing two people with knowledge of the matter. TSMC had shifted its H20 production lines to produce other chips for other customers, and manufacturing new chips from scratch could take nine months, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said at a media event in Beijing this week, according to the report. The report also said Nvidia did not plan to restart production, without citing any sources or giving details. Nvidia declined to comment on the report. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Huang made comments in recent days suggesting Nvidia would ramp up supply of H20 chips, and that licenses for Chinese orders would be approved swiftly. Nvidia has also announced that it is developing a new chip for Chinese clients called the RTX Pro GPU, which would be compliant with U.S. export restrictions.
Mint
3 hours ago
- Mint
Jensen Huang, AI visionary in a leather jacket
Unknown to the general public just three years ago, Jensen Huang is now one of the most powerful entrepreneurs in the world as head of chip giant Nvidia. The unassuming 62-year-old draws stadium crowds of more than 10,000 people as his company's products push the boundaries of artificial intelligence. Chips designed by Nvidia, known as graphics cards or GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), are essential in developing the generative artificial intelligence powering technology like ChatGPT. Big tech's insatiable appetite for Nvidia's GPUs, which sell for tens of thousands of dollars each, has catapulted the California chipmaker beyond $4 trillion in market valuation, the first company ever to surpass that mark. Nvidia's meteoric rise has boosted Huang's personal fortune to $150 billion -- making him one of the world's richest people -- thanks to the roughly 3.5 percent stake he holds in the company he founded three decades ago with two friends in a Silicon Valley diner. In a clear demonstration of his clout, he recently convinced President Donald Trump to lift restrictions on certain GPU exports to China, despite the fact that China is locked in a battle with the United States for AI supremacy. "That was brilliantly done," said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a governance professor at Yale University. Huang was able to explain to Trump that "having the world using a US tech platform as the core protocol is definitely in the interest of this country" and won't help the Chinese military, Sonnenfeld said. Born in Taipei in 1963, Jensen Huang (originally named Jen-Hsun) embodies the American success story. At nine years old, he was sent away with his brother to boarding school in small-town Kentucky. His uncle recommended the school to his Taiwanese parents believing it to be a prestigious institution, when it was actually a school for troubled youth. Too young to be a student, Huang boarded there but attended a nearby public school alongside the children of tobacco farmers. With his poor English, he was bullied and forced to clean toilets -- a two-year ordeal that transformed him. "We worked really hard, we studied really hard, and the kids were really tough," he recounted in an interview with US broadcaster NPR. But "the ending of the story is I loved the time I was there," Huang said. Brought home by his parents, who had by then settled in the northwestern US state of Oregon, he graduated from university at just 20 and joined AMD, then LSI Logic, to design chips -- his passion. But he wanted to go further and founded Nvidia in 1993 to "solve problems that normal computers can't," using semiconductors powerful enough to handle 3D graphics, as he explained on the "No Priors" podcast. Nvidia created the first GPU in 1999, riding the intersection of video games, data centers, cloud computing, and now, generative AI. Always dressed in a black T-shirt and leather jacket, Huang sports a Nvidia logo tattoo and has a taste for sports cars. But it's his relentless optimism, low-key personality and lack of political alignment that sets him apart from the likes of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Unlike them, Huang was notably absent from Trump's inauguration ceremony. "He backpedals his own aura and has the star be the technology rather than himself," observed Sonnenfeld, who believes Huang may be "the most respected of all today's tech titans." One former high-ranking Nvidia employee described him to AFP as "the most driven person" he'd ever met. On visits to his native Taiwan, Huang is treated like a megastar, with fans crowding him for autographs and selfies as journalists follow him to the barber shop and his favorite night market. "He has created the phenomena because of his personal charm," noted Wayne Lin of Witology Market Trend Research Institute. "A person like him must be very busy and his schedule should be full every day meeting big bosses. But he remembers to eat street food when he comes to Taiwan," he said, calling Huang "unusually friendly." Nvidia is a tight ship and takes great care to project a drama-free image of Huang. But the former high-ranking employee painted a more nuanced picture, describing a "very paradoxical" individual who is fiercely protective of his employees but also capable, within Nvidia's executive circle, of "ripping people to shreds" over major mistakes or poor choices.
