ASTRA air-to-air missile

Recently, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Limited Series Production-7 (LSP-7) successfully test fired the ASTRA indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile off the coast of Goa.

• The Astra project was officially launched in the early 2000s with defined parameters and proposed future variants.
• Around 2017, the development phase of the Mk-1 version was complete.
• Several successful tests have been conducted since 2017 from Sukhoi-30 MKIs.

About ASTRA indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR):

• The Astra Mk-1 is a Air-to-Air Missile (AAM).
• BVM missiles are capable of engaging beyond the range of 20 nautical miles or 37 kilometers.
• AAMs are fired from an airborne asset to destroy an airborne target.
  
  
  
• Range:
  • The range for Astra Mk-1 is around 110 km.
  • The Mk-2 with a range over 150 km is under development and Mk-3 version with a longer range is being envisaged.
  • One more version of Astra, with a range smaller than Mk-1 is also under development.
• Designed and Developed by:
  • Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

• Can be integrated with other Fighter Aircraft: The missile is fully integrated on the Sukhoi 30 MKI I and will be integrated with other fighter aircraft in a phased manner, including the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.
  
  • It will integrate the missile on the MiG-29K fighter aircraft which are deployed on the Navy’s aircraft carriers, thus adding to the lethality of India’s Aircraft carriers.