Source: Press Information Bureau
Recently Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) ‘Astra’ from the Su-30 MKI platform off the coast of Chandipur, Odisha. The trials were conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) against Jet Banshee target aircraft simulating all possible threat scenarios.
About the test trials
The present flight trials have proved the end to end performance of the missile system in various combat scenarios giving greater confidence to users. The five successful trials of Astra will culminate into the induction of the missile system into Indian Air Force, which will certainly be a force multiplier considering its accuracy and effectiveness in neutralizing aerial threats.
About Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) ‘Astra
- Astra BVRAAM has a range of more than 100 km with modern guidance and navigation techniques.
- The missile has midcourse guidance and RF seeker based terminal guidance to achieve target destruction with pinpoint accuracy.
- Designed by the DRDO, the beyond visual range Astra missile is capable of engaging targets of different ranges and altitudes, defence sources said.
- The missile has a 15-kilogram high-explosive pre-fragmented warhead
- It is India’s first indigenously-developed beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.
- It is intended to engage and destroy aerial targets with high manoeuvrability and supersonic speeds.
- The missile’s advanced air combat capabilities allow it to engage multiple high-performance targets.
- It is developed as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) of the Indian Ministry of Defence. DRDO carried out mission analysis, system design, simulation and post-flight analysis of the weapon system.
