Indigenously Developed Astra successfully test-fired from Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft
India’s indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile Astra was successfully tested on 18 March 2015 from a Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft. The test was undertaken at the Integrated Test Range located at Chandipur in Odisha.
About Test
- During the test, missile successfully hit a simulated target and also proved its manoeuvring capability against a simulated target and also validated its various subsystems.
- Missile’s all subsystems like propulsion, navigation, guidance and separation from the aircraft were also successfully tested.
About Astra missile
- Indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- Single stage solid fuelled and has payload capacity of 15 kg conventional explosives.
- It is air-to-air missile BVR all-weather missile and can be launched from different altitudes.
- Capable of engaging and destroying highly maneuverable supersonic aerial targets and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speed of 1.2 Mach to 1.4 Mach.
- It can engage targets in head-on up to 80 km and tail-chase up to 20 km modes.
- The missile can reach up to 110 km when fired from an altitude of 15 km and 44 km when launched from an altitude of 8 km and 21 km when fired from sea level.
- The missile can be integrated with fighter aircraft including Sukhoi-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, MiG-29, Jaguar and the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
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Month: Current Affairs - March, 2015