News Brief
Indian Air Force Set To Acquire Indigenously Developed 'Astra' Beyond Visual Range Air-To-Air Missile
LCA Tejas test-firing Astra Missile in August 2023 (Pic Via PIB)
Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt on Sunday (14 January) flagged-off the indigenously developed Astra air-to-air missiles for supply to the Indian Air Force.
The event, held at Kanchangbagh unit of Bharat Dynamics Limited in Hyderabad, and was attended by BDL CMD Commodore A Madhavarao (Retd) and other senior officials from DRDO, IAF and BDL, paves the way for the missile's induction into the IAF.
The Astra missile is a beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile, which has been indigenously developed by the DRDO and is being manufactured by BDL for the IAF.
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"Astra Weapon System is best in its class of weapon systems in the world in the category of air-to-air missiles. The missile has a range of 100 plus km," the BDL said in a press release, news agency PTI reported.
The flag off ceremony marks a significant achievement for BDL, positioning it among a select few companies globally with the capability to manufacture state of the art air-to-air missiles, it said.
The Union Minister extended his congratulations to BDL for successfully realizing the production of this indigenously developed missile, aligning with the Government of India's 'Atmanirbhar' (self-reliant) policy.
He also acknowledged BDL's significant role in boosting the country's defence exports.
BDL MD Madhavarao emphasized the defence firm's commitment to the 'Make in India' initiative, ensuring maximum indigenous content in their products.
He mentioned that BDL has received several leads from friendly foreign nations interested in the Astra Weapon System.
Furthermore, he pointed out that BDL has expanded its manufacturing capabilities to simultaneously cater to both domestic and international demands for the Astra missiles.
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