Defence
Astra missile fired from Tejas LSP-7. (Liveliest/Twitter)
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully tested the indigenously developed Astra Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air (BVRAAM) missile from a Tejas fighter aircraft for the first time.
The test was conducted using the Tejas Limited Series Production-7 (LSP-7) aircraft. In the past, the missiles been tested from a Su-30 MKI fighter.
Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the missile is believed to have a range of over 100 kilometers.
The Defence Ministry has already ordered 248 Astra Mk-1 missiles — 200 for the Indian Air Force and 48 for the Indian Navy.
Work is also underway on a new, long-range variant of the missile.
Called Astra Mk-II, the missile recently appeared in a promo video put out by the IAF ahead of the 90th Air Force Day in October last year.
Reports say Astra Mark-II will have improved jammer resistance and an indigenous seeker. The missile could be equipped with a dual-pulse rocket motor to improve the range and performance.
India is also working on Astra Mk-III, which will have a range of over 300 km. The missile will have solid fuel-based ducted ramjet (SFDR) propulsion.
Over the last few years, the DRDO has conducted multiple tests of SFDR technology critical for long-range air-to-air missiles.
The development of SFDR technology will enable India to make its own long-range air-to-air missile, which could mirror the capabilities of the best missiles in this class, like MBDA's Meteor, which the IAF uses on its Rafales.
The Meteor missile also depends on its ramjet propulsion for "more energy to manoeuvre during the endgame of the engagement."
"The ramjet motor [propulsion system] provides the [Meteor] missile with thrust all the way to target intercept, providing the largest No-Escape Zone of any air-to-air missile," the literature on the MBAD website reads.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest