News Brief
Astra Mk-1 Missile: Defence Ministry Signs Rs 2,971 Crore Deal With BDL, Production In Progress
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the transfer of technology from the DRDO to BDL has been completed and stated that the missile production at BDL is now in progress.
Astra Mk-1 test-fired from an IAF Su-30 MKI. (Twitter)
The Ministry of Defence has signed a deal with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for the supply of Astra Mk-1 beyond visual range air-to-air missile for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy at the cost of Rs 2,971 crore.
Astra Mk-1 is India's first indigenous air-to-air missile.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has confirmed that the transfer of technology from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to BDL for the manufacturing of the missile has been completed.
Singh also stated that the production of the missile at BDL is now in progress.
"Till now, the technology to manufacture missile of this class indigenously was not available. The Transfer of Technology from DRDO to BDL for production of ASTRA MK-I missile and all associated systems has been completed and production at BDL is in progress," he said.
"The project essentially embodies the spirit of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and will help facilitate realising our country’s journey towards self-reliance in Air to Air Missiles," the Defence Minister added.
The Defence Ministry has already ordered 248 Astra Mk-1 missiles — 200 for the Indian Air Force and 48 for the Indian Navy.
The 100-km range Astra Mk-1, developed by the DRDO, was tested for the first time in May 2003. Since then, been test-fired multiple times and integrated with Su-30 MKI fighters. The missile will also be integrated with Tejas Mark-1A and upgraded MiG-29s over the next few years.
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