NEWS – India successfully conducted two back-to-back tests of the Astra Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The missile was equipped with an indigenously developed radio-frequency (RF) seeker, ensuring pinpoint accuracy.
• Tests were carried out from IAF’s Su-30MKI fighter jets off the Odisha coast.
• Astra missiles destroyed high-speed unmanned aerial targets under varying conditions of range, angle, and launch environment.
• The tests confirmed the accuracy and reliable performance of the Astra system
• The DRDO and Indian Air Force (IAF) jointly conducted the trials, validating all subsystems and flight data using range-tracking instruments at Chandipur’s Integrated Test Range.
• Astra has a range of over 100 km, giving IAF jets the ability to engage enemy aircraft without entering hostile air defence zones.
• It is expected to become a core air-to-air weapon for current platforms like Su-30MKI and future indigenous fighters.