Astra Mk-1 air-to-air missile

The Ministry of Defence has recently signed a contract with the Hyderabad-based public-sector Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) for supply of the Astra Mark-1.

About Astra Mark-1:

• The Astra Mk-1 is a beyond visual range (BVR), air-to-air missile (AAM).
• The missile has been designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• It will used for deployment on fighter jets like Sukhoi-30 MKI and Tejas of the IAF and the Mig-29K of the Navy.
• 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.
• The missile can travel at speeds more than four times that of sound and can reach a maximum altitude of 20 km, making it extremely flexible for air combat.

About Astra project:

• The Astra project was officially launched in the early 2000s with defined parameters and proposed future variants.
  • Around 2017, the development phase of Mk-1 version was complete.
• While 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.