India: India’s first indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air-to-Air missile ASTRA has been successfully test fired by the Indian Air Force (IAF) from a naval range in the western sector meeting all the mission objectives. ASTRA is India’s first BVR Air-to-Air Missile indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), possessing high Single Shot Kill Probability (SSKP) making it highly reliable. Astra is an all aspect, all weather missile with active radar terminal guidance, excellent ECCM features, smokeless propulsion and process improved effectiveness in multi-target scenario making it a highly advanced, state-of the-art missile.
“Astra's successful launch from the Su30 combat aircraft is a major step in missile aircraft integration. Extensive flight testing that has preceded the air launch was indeed a joint effort of DRDO and IAF. This will be followed by launch against actual target shortly. Many more trials are planned and will be conducted to clear the launch envelope. Weapon integration with ‘Tejas’ Light Combat Aircraft will also be done in the near future,” said Avinash Chander, Secretary Department of Defence R&D and DG, DRDO. “The Air Launch of ASTRA was perfect in all respect and is a culmination of years of effort by a very dedicated and competent team of the Missile Complex, Hyderabad, CEMILAC and Indian Air Force. HAL carried out the modification in Su-30 along with IAF specialists, and many Indian industries have an important and enabling role in the production of reliable avionics, propulsion system, materials, airframe and software passing stringent airworthiness requirements for the missile,” said Dr S Venugopal, Project Director.
Source: DRDO
