Context

• Indian Air Force has successfully test-fired indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) Astra from Su-30 fighter aircraft.
• During the test, missile successfully engaged manoeuvring target with high precision meeting mission objectives.

About

• Astrais a Beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• It is one of the smallest weapon system developed by DRDO, having length of 3.8-metre and weighing 154kg.
• It is a single stage solid fuelled missile and has payload capacity of 15 kg conventional explosives.
• It can be launched from different altitudes and is capable of engaging targets at varying range and altitudes at both short-range targets (up to 20 km) in tail-chase mode and long-range targets (up to 80 km) in head-on mode.
• It can attain maximum speed of Mach 4 (four times speed of sound). It possesses high Single Shot Kill Probability (SSKP) making it highly reliable.
• It is an all-weather missile with active radar terminal guidance, excellent electronic counter-counter measure (ECCM) features, smokeless propulsion and process improved effectiveness in multi-target scenario.
• It has advance on-board electronic counter-measures that jam radar signals from enemy radar, making tracking of the missile difficult. It is fitted with terminal active radar-seeker and an updated mid-course internal guidance system that helps missile to locate and track targets.
• The missile can be integrated with all fighter aircraft of IAF including Sukhoi-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, MiG-29, Jaguar and the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).

Significance

• The flight test assumes significance as it was part of the series of final pre-induction trials.
• In the series of trials held till date, Astra missile has been launched in complete Su-30 flight envelope.
• So far, it has undergone more than 20 developmental trials.