Armenia has brought negotiations for the acquisition of Indian-made "Astra" class "air-to-air" missiles to the final stage.
Modern.az reports that India's BusinessLine publication has released information on this matter. According to the information, there are at least six countries interested in India's "Astra" missiles, and Armenia is among them.
According to the publication's sources, Yerevan is in advanced stages of negotiations with New Delhi regarding the integration of these missiles into Russian-made Su-30SM fighters. This is considered the next stage of expanding military-technical cooperation between India and Armenia in recent years.
The "Astra Mk-1" missile was developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and is manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). The missile reaches a speed of 4.5 Mach and is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 110 kilometers.
In addition, India has already tested the "Astra Mk-2" version with a range of 200-240 kilometers. Work is currently underway on the "Astra Mk-3" missile, which is expected to have a flight range of over 300 kilometers.
It should be noted that although the Armenian leadership has verbally declared its support for the peace agenda in the region recently, it continues its steps to expand its military arsenal in parallel. The acquisition of new weapons and military equipment by Yerevan from various countries in recent years, including the expansion of defense cooperation with India, indicates the continuation of this policy.
