India is urgently pursuing the acquisition of Russia’s long-range R-37M (AA-13 Axehead) air-to-air missile after suffering what regional observers are calling a humiliating defeat in a large-scale Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air battle against Pakistan in May.
The high-altitude confrontation — described by some defence analysts as the largest BVR aerial engagement since the Cold War — resulted in the loss of at least six Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters within a matter of hours. Among the casualties were three Dassault Rafales, India’s premier multirole jets touted for their cutting-edge avionics and Meteor missiles.
This sudden collapse in India’s BVR dominance has triggered urgent moves in New Delhi to rectify what military planners now view as a critical technological gap, particularly against the Chinese-built PL-15E missiles used by Pakistan’s J-10C fighters — a gap that the R-37M might just help bridge.
The shocking May 2025 dogfight, fought primarily over Jammu and Kashmir and adjacent airspace, saw Pakistani J-10C jets — armed with the PL-15E, an export variant of China’s most advanced long-range missile — engage and destroy multiple IAF platforms before they could effectively retaliate.
This marked a significant turning point: the first time since the 1999 Kargil conflict that India suffered such dramatic aerial losses in so short a time. The IAF, long confident in its technological superiority thanks to the Rafale deal with France and the strength of its Su-30MKI fleet, was unprepared for Pakistan’s evolved BVR kill-chain and the integration of next-generation Chinese weaponry.
Three Rafales, each costing over USD 240 million fully equipped, were shot down alongside one Su-30MKI, one MiG-29, and one Mirage 2000. It wasn’t just the losses themselves but the manner of defeat — at long distances, without visual contact — that shocked Indian defence circles. The PL-15E missiles had simply outranged and outpaced their Indian counterparts.
In response, the IAF has accelerated negotiations with Moscow to acquire the R-37M, one of the world’s longest-range air-to-air missiles. Originally developed to shoot down NATO AWACS and tanker aircraft from hundreds of kilometers away, the R-37M is designed for use with heavy Russian aircraft such as the MiG-31 and Su-35, but Russia has also offered integration packages for India’s Su-30MKI fleet.
Capable of striking targets over 300 kilometers away, the R-37M boasts a speed of Mach 6 and features a dual-mode guidance system using active radar homing and inertial navigation. Its massive 60-kilogram warhead allows it to destroy even heavily defended or maneuverable targets.
While final details of the procurement remain under wraps, sources in the Indian Ministry of Defence confirm that a deal potentially worth USD 250 million is being finalized. The plan includes not just the missiles, but also sensor upgrades, training, and integration support to make the Su-30MKIs fully R-37M capable within 12–18 months.
This would give the IAF a badly needed capability to threaten high-value Pakistani and Chinese aerial assets from standoff ranges — evening the odds against the PL-15 and offering new deterrence against PAF AWACS and refuellers.
India’s scramble is partly in reaction to the PL-15E, but the real concern is what lies ahead: China’s next-generation PL-17 missile, also known as “PL-XX” or “Project 180.”
While the PL-15E, already in Pakistani service, has a range exceeding 145 kilometers, the PL-17 is believed to have an engagement envelope of 300–400 kilometers, making it potentially the world’s longest-range operational air-to-air missile — surpassing even the US AIM-120D and European Meteor.
Chinese state media has hinted that the PL-17 features:
- An AESA radar seeker for superior target tracking.
- A dual-mode guidance system with inertial navigation, GPS/Beidou, and a two-way data link.
- Aggressive electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) to resist jamming.
- A massive airframe nearly six meters in length, suitable for engaging AWACS, tankers, and ISR aircraft.
These capabilities align with China’s A2/AD (anti-access/area denial) strategy in the Indo-Pacific — and could be exported to Pakistan in the very near future.
Reports from Janes suggest that Pakistan is preparing to receive up to 40 J-35A fifth-generation stealth fighters from China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation — platforms purpose-built to carry weapons like the PL-17 and operate in contested airspace without detection.
If true, the PAF could soon field a “first-look, first-shot, first-kill” architecture that would make it exceptionally difficult for India’s older fighters to survive in BVR combat.
For Islamabad, integrating the PL-17 with the J-35A — a stealth aircraft reportedly similar in design to the American F-35 — represents a tectonic shift in regional air warfare.
Chinese sources confirm that the PL-17 is already in limited service with frontline units of the PLA Air Force’s J-20 fleet. If Pakistan becomes the first foreign operator, it would gain a qualitative edge unmatched in South Asia.
The implications are staggering:
- India’s early-warning aircraft and refuellers could be picked off at long range, crippling IAF operations deep into Pakistani or Chinese territory.
- Indian fighters would have to operate on the defensive, unable to detect incoming stealth threats or launch retaliatory strikes before being fired upon.
- Command-and-control infrastructure, aerial surveillance, and strike coordination could break down, leaving India’s air strategy paralyzed in the opening hours of conflict.
In effect, Pakistan’s embrace of the PL-17–J-35A combination mimics China’s efforts to keep US and allied ISR assets away from its periphery — only this time, it’s directed squarely at India.
Faced with a new strategic environment, the IAF is re-evaluating its entire missile portfolio. Several options are now on the table:
- Extending Meteor integration beyond Rafales to platforms like the Tejas Mk1A or Su-30MKI, though technical challenges persist.
- Accelerating the Astra Mk3 program, India’s indigenous BVR missile with an expected range of 160–200 km and active radar homing.
- Pursuing joint missile development with France or Russia, possibly involving hypersonic glide vehicles or scramjet-powered air-to-air systems.
- Acquiring and integrating long-range radar systems capable of detecting stealth aircraft at extended ranges, using L-band or multi-static radar setups.
- Upgrading Netra and Phalcon AWACS, along with investing in new-generation electronic warfare and decoy systems to protect high-value assets.
These measures, however, will cost India dearly — potentially an additional USD 400–500 million over the next decade — and may still lag behind Chinese advancements exported to Pakistan in real time.
At its core, the unfolding BVR missile race in South Asia is a reflection of broader shifts in Asia’s military balance. China is exporting not just weapons, but strategic doctrine — giving Pakistan the tools and tactics to replicate Beijing’s A2/AD success in the Taiwan Strait and East China Sea.
India, facing encirclement, now finds itself in a two-front dilemma. Its response must therefore be multidimensional: technological, doctrinal, and diplomatic.
Washington, Tokyo, and Canberra — key Quad allies — will be watching closely. Any significant erosion in India’s ability to deter Pakistan, let alone China, weakens the Indo-Pacific’s entire security structure.
The May 2025 air battle changed the trajectory of Indo-Pak airpower dynamics. No longer is air superiority a function of aircraft numbers or pilot training alone. In the era of Beyond Visual Range supremacy, the first to detect, the first to fire, and the first to kill dictates the battle — often without being seen.
