Astra (missile) vs R-73 (missile): Specs Compared

AMissiles

Astra (missile)

Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile

BMissiles

R-73 (missile)

Short-range air-to-air missile

Credit

Vitaly V. Kuzmin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Astra (missile)Length

3.84 m

Length source ↗

R-73 (missile)Length

2.93 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Astra (missile)larger figure on 3 of 3

Length+31%
Diameter+8%
Mass+47%

R-73 (missile)larger figure on 0 of 3

None

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

15 of 56 rows sourced on both sides

3.84m

2.93m

Length+31%

All recorded figures & sources

3.84 m

Length

Single source

3.84 m (12.6 ft)^[source]

2.93 m

Length

Single source

2.93 metres (9 ft 7 in)^[source]

—

510mm

Wingspan

All recorded figures & sources

0.51 m

Wingspan

Single source

510 millimetres (20 in)^[source]

178mm

165mm

Diameter+8%

All recorded figures & sources

0.178 m

Diameter

Single source

178 mm (7.0 in)^[source]

0.165 m

Diameter

Single source

165 millimetres (6.5 in)^[source]

154kg

105kg

Mass+47%

All recorded figures & sources

154 kg

Mass

Single source

154 kg (340 lb)^[source]

105 kg

Mass

Single source

105 kilograms (231 lb)^[source]

350kmOperational; Mk-3

40kmOperational; RVV-MD

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

110 km

Operational; Mk-1

Single source

240 km

Operational; Mk-2

Single source

350 km

Operational; Mk-3

Single source

Mk-1: 110 km (68 mi) Mk-2: 240 km (150 mi) Mk-3: 350 km (220 mi)^[source]

30 km

Operational; R-73A, R-73E R-74

Single source

40 km

Operational; RVV-MD

Single source

R-73A, R-73E: 30 kilometres (19 mi) R-74, RVV-MD: 40 kilometres (25 mi)^[source]

15kgWarhead weight

—

Warhead mass

All recorded figures & sources

15 kg

Warhead weight

Single source

15 kg (33 lb)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

Astra (missile) and R-73 (missile) configuration
Specification	Astra (missile)	R-73 (missile)
Speed	Mk-1: Mach 4.5^[source]	Mach 2.5^[source]
Type	Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile^[source]	Short-range air-to-air missile^[source]
Place of origin	India^[source]	Soviet Union^[source]
In service	2019 ( 2019 ) –present^[source]	1984–present^[source]
Used by	Indian Air Force Indian Navy^[source]	See Operators^[source]
Wars	2025 India–Pakistan conflict^[source]	Eritrean-Ethiopian War Yemeni civil war (2014-present) Russo-Ukrainian War^[source]
Designer	Defence Research and Development Laboratory ( DRDO )^[source]	—
Manufacturer	Bharat Dynamics Limited^[source]	Moscow Kommunar Machine-Building Plant , Tbilisi Aircraft Manufacturing , TAM Management^[source]
Unit cost	Mk-1: ₹ 7−8 crore (US$−830,000)^[source]	—
Produced	2017 − Present^[source]	—
Variants	Mk-1 (Operational) Mk-2 (LSP) Mk-3 (Trial-phase) VL-SRSAM (Trial-phase)^[source]	—
Warhead	High-explosive pre- fragmented HMX / PU^[source]	7.4 kilograms (16 lb)^[source]
Detonation mechanism	Mk-1: Radio proximity fuze Mk-2: Optical proximity fuze^[source]	—
Engine	Mk-1: Solid-propellant rocket Mk-2: Dual-thrust pulsed rocket motor Mk-3: Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet^[source]	Solid-fuel rocket engine^[source]
Propellant	Solid fuel^[source]	—
Flight ceiling	20 km (66,000 ft)^[source]	—
Guidance system	Mid-course: FOG - INS + Mid-course update via datalink Terminal: ARH^[source]	All-aspect infrared homing^[source]
Launch platform	Su-30MKI MiG-29K Tejas Mk.1/1A MiG-29UPG (Trial-phase) HAL Tejas Mk2 (Planned) AMCA (Planned) TEDBF (Planned) Rafale Marine (Planned)^[source]	MiG-21 (Upgraded), MiG-23-98 , MiG-25 , MiG-27 , MiG-29 , MiG-31 , MiG-35 Sukhoi Su-24 , Su-25 , Su-27 , Su-30 , Su-33 , Su-34 , Su-35 , Sukhoi Su-57 , Sukhoi Su-47 Yak-141 , Yak-130 HAL Tejas IRIAF F-14 J-10 J-11 Mirage 2000 ( Indian Air Force ) MAGURA V5 USV ( HUR Ukraine ) 9K33 Osa Gravehawk^[source]
Reported operators	—	Reported operator · Algeria Reported operator · Angola Reported operator · Armenia Reported operator · Azerbaijan Reported operator · Bangladesh Reported operator · Belarus Reported operator · Bulgaria Reported operator · China Reported operator · Cuba Reported operator · Egypt Reported operator · Eritrea Reported operator · Ethiopia Reported operator · Georgia Reported operator · India Reported operator · Indonesia Reported operator · Iran Reported operator · Kazakhstan Reported operator · North Korea Reported operator · Malaysia Reported operator · Mongolia Reported operator · Myanmar Reported operator · Peru Reported operator · Poland Reported operator · Russia Reported operator · Serbia Reported operator · Sudan Reported operator · Turkmenistan Reported operator · Uganda Reported operator · Ukraine Reported operator · Uzbekistan Reported operator · Venezuela Reported operator · Vietnam

FORCETALLY

Loading the evidence…

Preparing your view.

Astra (missile)

R-73 (missile)

Speed

Mk-1: Mach 4.5^[source]

Mach 2.5^[source]

Type

Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile^[source]

Short-range air-to-air missile^[source]

Place of origin

India^[source]

Soviet Union^[source]

In service

2019 ( 2019 ) –present^[source]

1984–present^[source]

Used by

Indian Air Force Indian Navy^[source]

See Operators^[source]

Wars

2025 India–Pakistan conflict^[source]

Eritrean-Ethiopian War Yemeni civil war (2014-present) Russo-Ukrainian War^[source]

Designer

Defence Research and Development Laboratory ( DRDO )^[source]

—

Manufacturer

Bharat Dynamics Limited^[source]

Moscow Kommunar Machine-Building Plant , Tbilisi Aircraft Manufacturing , TAM Management^[source]

Unit cost

Mk-1: ₹ 7−8 crore (US$−830,000)^[source]

—

Produced

2017 − Present^[source]

—

Variants

Mk-1 (Operational) Mk-2 (LSP) Mk-3 (Trial-phase) VL-SRSAM (Trial-phase)^[source]

—

Warhead

High-explosive pre- fragmented HMX / PU^[source]

7.4 kilograms (16 lb)^[source]

Detonation mechanism

Mk-1: Radio proximity fuze Mk-2: Optical proximity fuze^[source]

—

Engine

Mk-1: Solid-propellant rocket Mk-2: Dual-thrust pulsed rocket motor Mk-3: Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet^[source]

Solid-fuel rocket engine^[source]

Propellant

Solid fuel^[source]

—

Flight ceiling

20 km (66,000 ft)^[source]

—

Guidance system

Mid-course: FOG - INS + Mid-course update via datalink Terminal: ARH^[source]

All-aspect infrared homing^[source]

Launch platform

Su-30MKI MiG-29K Tejas Mk.1/1A MiG-29UPG (Trial-phase) HAL Tejas Mk2 (Planned) AMCA (Planned) TEDBF (Planned) Rafale Marine (Planned)^[source]

MiG-21 (Upgraded), MiG-23-98 , MiG-25 , MiG-27 , MiG-29 , MiG-31 , MiG-35 Sukhoi Su-24 , Su-25 , Su-27 , Su-30 , Su-33 , Su-34 , Su-35 , Sukhoi Su-57 , Sukhoi Su-47 Yak-141 , Yak-130 HAL Tejas IRIAF F-14 J-10 J-11 Mirage 2000 ( Indian Air Force ) MAGURA V5 USV ( HUR Ukraine ) 9K33 Osa Gravehawk^[source]

Reported operators

—

Reported operator · Algeria
Reported operator · Angola
Reported operator · Armenia
Reported operator · Azerbaijan
Reported operator · Bangladesh
Reported operator · Belarus
Reported operator · Bulgaria
Reported operator · China
Reported operator · Cuba
Reported operator · Egypt
Reported operator · Eritrea
Reported operator · Ethiopia
Reported operator · Georgia
Reported operator · India
Reported operator · Indonesia
Reported operator · Iran
Reported operator · Kazakhstan
Reported operator · North Korea
Reported operator · Malaysia
Reported operator · Mongolia
Reported operator · Myanmar
Reported operator · Peru
Reported operator · Poland
Reported operator · Russia
Reported operator · Serbia
Reported operator · Sudan
Reported operator · Turkmenistan
Reported operator · Uganda
Reported operator · Ukraine
Reported operator · Uzbekistan
Reported operator · Venezuela
Reported operator · Vietnam