Ethiopia has appeared among African Su-30 operators to whom India is offering the Astra Mk-1 air-to-air missile. According to the Indian publication IDRW, citing representatives of the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the current list of potential customers also includes Algeria, Angola, and Uganda.

The promotion of Astra took place at the Africa Aerospace and Defence 2026 exhibition in South Africa. The Indian side presents the missile as a weapon for engaging aerial targets beyond visual range.

Astra Mk-1 has already been integrated with Indian Su-30MKI, and in July 2025, DRDO and the Indian Air Force reported two successful missile launches from this aircraft against high-speed unmanned aerial targets. Both targets were hit.

The current official Indian Ministry of Defence card indicates a range of 80–110 km for Astra Mk-1. The missile uses inertial guidance, mid-course correction, and terminal active radar homing. In the 2025 tests, the Indian radar seeker head was specifically tested.

However, Ethiopia's appearance on the DRDO list does not yet mean the start of deliveries. There is no data on a concluded contract, agreed cost, or Ethiopia's decision to rearm its Su-30s with Astra missiles. No independent confirmation has been found that Addis Ababa has already chosen the Indian missile.

For India, African Su-30 operators represent a potential export market for an already mastered missile.