# India buys $1.2 billion Russian missiles to counter Chinese weapons 2026-08-24T18:20:06+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet India has reportedly signed a deal to buy around 300 R-37M ultra-long-range air-to-air missiles from Russia in a deal worth $1.2 billion, according to media reports. The missile is among the longest-range air-to-air missiles in the world, with an operational range of 300-400 km, and can travel at six times the speed of sound. Designed to target support aircraft such as airborne early-warning and tanker planes, the R-37M can be launched from the Indian Air Force's Su-30MKI fighters. Deliveries could begin within 12 to 18 months, according to Malaysia-based Defence Security Asia. India is also developing its own Astra Mk 2 and Mk 3 missiles, expected to be ready around the same time. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The R-37M deal addresses a critical gap for the Indian Air Force: the ability to destroy enemy airborne early-warning aircraft and aerial refuellers from stand-off range. Pakistan operates Chinese-made ZDK-03 and Saab 2000 early-warning planes, and China fields the KJ-500. Taking out these platforms would blind an adversary's air battle management. The Indian Air Force's Su-30MKI fleet is the natural launch platform, and the reported 12-18 month delivery timeline is aggressive for Russian defence exports, which have faced sanctions-driven production delays. Parallel development of the indigenous Astra Mk 3, with a similar 300 km-plus range, signals a hedge against future supply uncertainty. The actual integration and combat effectiveness will be watched closely as deliveries commence. The R-37M deal addresses a critical gap for the Indian Air Force: the ability to destroy enemy airborne early-warning aircraft and aerial refuellers from stand-off range. ## Coverage - scmp.com Reports the deal as a fact from secondary sources without taking a side on India, Russia, or Pakistan-China This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: China, India, Indian Air Force, Pakistan, Russia Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/india-buys-1-2-billion-russian-missiles-to-counter-chinese-weapons/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/india-buys-1-2-billion-russian-missiles-to-counter-chinese-weapons/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/