BHUBANESWAR: In yet another major step towards indigenisation of weapon systems, India has successfully test fired beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) Astra from LCA Tejas AF MK1 off Odisha coast, paving the way for its integration in the indigenously developed fighter jet.
Defence sources said Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) launched Astra from Tejas MK1 prototype fighter aircraft on Wednesday and the missile directly hit a moving target. All the subsystems performed accurately meeting all mission parameters and objectives.
Designed and developed by DRDO, Astra missile is capable of engaging the targets up to a range of over 100 km. The missile has been equipped with advanced guidance and navigation capabilities that allow it to destroy targets with greater accuracy.
Astra has already been inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) and integrated with front-line fighter aircraft Sukhoi 30 MKI. “This successful test is a significant milestone towards the induction of LCA AF MK1A variant of the missile. More trials have been planned for its performance evaluation,” the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement.
The 3.8 metre long state-of-the-art missile has a launch weight of about 154 kg. It uses solid-fuel propellant and a 15 kg high-explosive warhead, activated by a proximity fuse. The missile has been designed to destroy targets at varying range and altitudes allowing for engagement of both short-range targets (up to 20 km) and long-range targets (up to 100 km) using alternative propulsion modes.
It is difficult to track this missile as its on-board electronic counter-measures jam signals from the enemy radars. As an anti-aircraft missile, it can be fired after receiving a signal from the far away target through its onboard manoeuvres based on radio frequency.
One of its versions with a strike range of 100 km can cruise at an altitude of 15 km while another having a range of 40 km can destroy a target at an altitude up to 30,000 ft, and the third one with a range of 30 km is capable of hitting the target at sea level altitude.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the teams of DRDO, IAF, ADA, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and others involved in the trial.