Know about India's Air-to-Air Missile Astra

New Delhi: India on Saturday conducted a successful ballistic flight test of indigenously developed Astra - Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile - from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur. Astra is an active radar homing beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), India. Astra is a high-end tactical missile and is envisaged to intercept enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in head-on mode at a range of 80 km and in tail-chase mode at 20 km. The missile is 3.8 metres long and is said to be configured like a longer version of the Super 530D, narrower in front of the wings. Astra is designed to be capable of engaging targets at varying range and altitudes allowing for engagement of both short-range targets (up to 20 km) and long-range targets (up to 80 km) using alternative propulsion modes. The missile's maximum speed is Mach 4 and can attain maximum altitude of 20 km. The missile can handle 40 g turns near sea level while attacking a manoeuvring target. Astra has ECCM features and has improved effectiveness in multi-target scenarios. It can be launched in both autonomous and buddy mode operation and can achieve lock-on on its target before or after it is launched. DRDO started developing the beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) to arm the Indian Air Force's Mirage 2000H, MiG-29, Sea Harrier, Su-30MKI, MiG-21 Bison and HAL Tejas fighter aircraft. The missile uses an indigenous solid fuel propellant. A rocket/ramjet propulsion for improved range and enhanced kinematic performance, similar to that used in the Akash surface-to-air missile, is also being developed. The missile will be able to intercept target aircraft at supersonic speed. Initially planned to arm Jaguar, MIG-29 and Tejas, DRDO officials are now indicating that after user trials, the missile would be integrated with Indian Air Force's front-line fighter aircraft like Sukhoi-30 MKIs and Mirage-2000s. The maximum range of Astra is 110 km in head-on chase and 20 km in tail chase. The missile could be launched from different altitudes - it can cover 110 km when launched from an altitude of 15 km, 44 km when fired from an altitude of eight km and 21 km when the altitude is sea-level. The missile can reportedly undertake 40 g turns close to sea level, when attacking a maneuvering target. It will have an active homing range of 25 km. The missile has a pre-fragmented warhead and is fitted with a proximity fuze. Astra has on-board ECCM capability allowing it to jam radar signals from an enemy surface-to-air battery, ensuring that the missile is not tracked or shot down. The Mark 2 version of Astra will have a maximum range of 150 km and tail chase range of up to 35 km, and will feature shorter fins than the original Mark 1 design.