Russia and India are discussing the “joint development and production of modern guided aircraft missiles,” according to Rosoboronexport (ROE).
The two countries are exploring the “possibility of joint production with the Indian side and the promotion of military products to third countries friendly to Russia.”
Russia believes that joint venture and development and production is necessary to “free up the capacities of Russian defense industry enterprises for the most efficient implementation of the state defense order.”
Paradigm Shift
According to ROE, technological cooperation, not weapons export, is now the leading trend in the global arms market. India and Russia were early trend setters, and Russia’s largest technological cooperation has been with India.
According to Rosoboronexport forecasts, by 2030 technology contracts will account for 40% of the global market for military products, which is twice the current figures.
Rosoboronexport aims to expand technological partnerships in the global market. It “has recently successfully implemented more than ten large technological projects for the joint production of products for various branches of the armed forces, and ten more are currently being implemented.”
“Technological partnership is not only new opportunities for Russia, but also strengthening ties with friendly countries.”
R-73E Local Manufacture
Unconfirmed reports during Aero India 2024 indicated that Adani Defence and Aerospace will locally produce the R-73E missile.
There has been no official statement from Adani Defence, nor is there a mention of the project on the company’s website.
The Vympel R-73E (Export variant of the R-73 AA-11 Archer) is an all-aspect IR passive homing WVR (close) Combat missile, a successor to the R-60 (AA-8 Aphid) missile. The missile is produced by Russia’s Tactical Missile Weapons Corporation (TRV).
The R-73 has a cryogenic-cooled (MK-80) seeker and uses thrust vectoring for maneuvering, giving it a substantial (45 deg either side) off-boresight capability.
Russia has developed several advanced versions of the R-73 missile. These include
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R-73M – Improved model.
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R-74 (izdeliye 740) – Improved model with ±60° off-boresight.
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RVV-MD – Export model of the R-74. The RVV-MD variant has increased anti-jamming protection including optical jamming.
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K-74M (izdeliye 750) – Improved model with ±75° off-boresight.
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K-74M2 (izdeliye 760) – Further improved variant with reduced cross-section for the Sukhoi Su-57. Intended to match the AIM-9X and ASRAAM.
Past Procurements
In June 2019, different news outlets reported that Vympel had offered the RVV-MD short-range missile, the RVV-SD medium-range missile, and the RVV-BD long-range missile to India.
However, in July 2019, military sources in Moscow and New Delhi told Jane’s that India had placed an order for AAMs comprising 300 R-73E (AA-11 ‘Archer’) IR-guided, short-range missiles.
The order additionally included 300 R-27 (AA-10 ‘Alamo’) infrared-guided (IR) or semi-active radar-guided, medium-to-long-range missiles and 400 R-77 (AA-12 ‘Adder’) active radar-guided, medium-range missiles.
The R-73E local production report may or may not be correct. What is clear, however, is that Russia’s scope of collaboration extends well beyond a single air-to-air missile.
Imperative For Local Production
The conflict in Ukraine underscores the critical importance of a nation’s capacity to produce ammunition domestically required for sustained military engagements.
Historically, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has faced challenges in acquiring and maintaining adequate stocks of air-to-air missiles.
Notably, during the post-Balakot skirmish on February 27, 2019, IAF Su-30MKIs were equipped with R-77 missiles, which had a shorter range compared to Pakistan’s AIM-120 missiles. This disparity highlighted the need for longer-range missile capabilities.
Recognizing this gap, India placed the earlier referred to order for 1,000 air-to-air missiles to bolster its arsenal. To further enhance its capabilities, the IAF should consider acquiring the Russian R-37M missile, renowned for its operational success in the Ukraine conflict.
Importantly, establishing domestic production of the R-37M would ensure that Indian fighters can effectively engage adversaries and maintain a strategic advantage in aerial combat.
India-Russia Joint Development Productions
India and Russia have a longstanding defense partnership that has included numerous joint development and local production initiatives.
The defense partnership is deep and goes back to the 1960s. Here is a look back mostly limited to the past two decades. The two countries cooperated on local production in India of Su-30MKI fighters, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and ammunition.
Since 2006, the BrahMos missile has been a cornerstone of India-Russia collaboration. Developed jointly by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia, it is recognized as one of the fastest supersonic cruise missiles globally.
The Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), a joint venture formed in 2019, has been producing AK-203 rifles at a facility in Korwa, Uttar Pradesh. As of early 2025, 40,000 rifles have been delivered to the Indian Ministry of Defence, with plans to manufacture over 600,000 units, aiming for 100% localization.
In March 2025, India signed a $248 million agreement with Russia’s Rosoboronexport to procure advanced 1,000 horsepower engines for its T-72 battle tanks. This deal includes technology transfer to India’s Armoured Vehicles Nigam Ltd for local production, enhancing the mobility and offensive capabilities of India’s armored fleet.
In February 2025, Russia offered India the opportunity to produce its advanced Su-57 stealth fighter jets domestically. This proposal includes full technology transfer and aligns with India’s goal of boosting domestic defense production for enhanced self-reliance.
Gandiva Astra Mk-3
It’s interesting to note that the Astra Mk-3 missile, recently named as Gandiva, was developed from the SFDR (solid fuel ducted ramjet) project, which started as a joint development project between DRDO and Rosoboronexport
Russia and India jointly developed the critical propulsion technology and high-tech subsystems for the missile, such as a nozzle-less booster, fuel flow controller, and boron-based sustainer. Subsequently, DRDO pursued the project independently.
Conclusion
ROE has offered to adapt jointly produced Russian missiles for integration with partner nations’ aircraft, potentially enabling India to equip its entire fighter fleet with domestically produced Russian air-to-air missiles.
Notably, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has acquired the software source code for its Rafale fighters, facilitating the integration of various weapon systems.
This strategic move could allow the IAF to arm its Rafale jets with indigenous R-37M missiles, enhancing their combat capabilities.
- Vijainder K Thakur is a retired IAF Jaguar pilot, author, software architect, entrepreneur, and military analyst.
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