NEW DELHI: The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft successfully fired the indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air ASTRA missile off the coast of Goa on Wednesday. The test-fire took place a day after the Air Chief reviewed the status of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme at Air Headquarters.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said, “The missile was successfully released from the aircraft at an altitude of about 20,000 feet. All test objectives were met, and it was a textbook launch.” This momentous occasion contributes significantly to the indigenisation of arms and equipment sources, as both the missile and the aircraft are being made domestically.
The importance of this achievement grows considering that it is a step towards overcoming potential future sanctions due to geopolitical ramifications on arms trade. In another significant step, the Indian Air Force has already successfully integrated the ASTRA missile with the frontline Sukhoi 30-MKI combat aircraft, as confirmed by sources.
The test launch was closely monitored by the Test Director and scientists from the Aeronautical Development Agency, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, as well as officials from the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification and the Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance. Tejas was tracked by a Chase Tejas twin-seater aircraft.
ASTRA, a state-of-the-art BVR air-to-air missile designed to engage and destroy highly maneuvering supersonic aerial targets, has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Research Centre Imarat, and other DRDO laboratories. The indigenous Astra BVR launch from homegrown Tejas fighters is a major stride towards achieving ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India).
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commended ADA, DRDO, CEMILAC, DG-AQA, and the industry for the successful missile firing from Tejas-LCA. He emphasised that this launch would significantly enhance the combat capabilities of Tejas and reduce dependency on imported weapons.
Meanwhile, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari reviewed the status of the Light Combat Aircraft programme at Air Headquarters in Delhi on Tuesday. Senior functionaries from the Ministry of Defence, DRDO, HAL, and ADA were also in attendance.