In a major step that promises to boost India’s capabilities, has reportedly offered the one of the world’s best air-to-air missiles, to India. The R-37M will now replace the currently used by the . The R-77, which is a key weapon of the in the Indian Air Force, is also purchased for Russia. Reports suggest that Russia has offer India a license for the production of the , paving the way for its manufacturing in India. If the deal materializes, it will significantly enhance the combat capabilities of the Indian Air Force.

According to the developers, the R-37M missile can reach speeds of up to Mach 6, making it a hypersonic weapon. The speed allows the missile to effectively target and engage fast-moving aerial threats. It has a cylindrical design with an ogive fairing.

The missile weighs approximately 510 kilograms and has a length of over 4 meters, carrying a 60-kilogram warhead. The R-37M features an inertial navigation guidance system, which also allows mid-course target updates.

The R-37M missile promises to strengthen India’s defense capabilities and a major threat to the Pakistani Air Force’s F-16s. It is important to note that the Pakistani Air Force is entirely reliant on F-16 fighter jets for its aerial strength. and these jets are considered its most advanced aircraft. In this scenario, the Russian R-37M missile can easily target Pakistani F-16 fighter jets from across the Line of Control (LoC).