Indian Su-30MKI Successfully Test Fired Astra Air to Air Missile

Astra fired from Su-30MKI-Note the smokeless rocket motor, photo:DRDO  India successfully test fired its indigenously developed Astra Bey...

Astra fired from Su-30MKI-Note the smokeless rocket motor, photo:DRDO

 India successfully test fired its indigenously developed Astra Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air missile (BVRAAM) for the first time from an Indian Air Force Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter on May 04, 2014.

The maiden air launch, tested only the successful separation of the missile from the Su-30 MKI fighter, and will be followed by launch against actual target shortly. Further trials will expand the flight envelop, performing difficult manoeuvres against high speed targets depicting fighter jets.

Astra missile had undergone rigorous testing on Su-30 MKI in the captive mode for avionics integration and Seeker evaluation in 2013.

Note the Smokeless Rocket Motor   Photo:DRDO

The Mach 4 speed capable Astra is designed for high Single Shot Kill Probability (SSKP), making it highly capable and effective. HAL carried out the modification and integration of the missile on Su-30 along with IAF specialists.

Astra is an all weather missile with active Radar terminal guidance, excellent Electronic Counter-Counter Measures (ECCM) features, smokeless propulsion motor.

Astra is equipped with a terminal active radar-seeker and an updated mid-course internal guidance system, to locate, track and engage targets.

Currently, except the RF seeker, all compnents are made by India. The Russian seeker will be produced in India under a transfer of technology (ToT) in near future.

The 3.8-metre long, single stage, solid fuelled missile has a launch weight of 154 kg and a 15 kg high explosive warhead, activated by a proximity fuse.
Astra is being developed in two different versions for different altitudes and ranges including Astra Mark-I, having a range of 44 km, and Mark-II, with a range of over 100km. The Mk-II variant is planned to be tested by the end of 2014.The missile had demonstrated three consecutive successful ground firing trials against aerial targets in December 2012.

Astra has been indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), the lab of DRDO, under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme of India. Its avionics was developed by the Research Centre Imarat, another DRDO lab.

After successful trials, Astra missile will be integrated on the indigenous LCA Tejas, Su-30MKI, upgraded Dassault Mirage 2000, Mig-29 and Jaguar fighters operated by Indian Air Force.
When fully operational, the cheaper Astra missile will replace the expensive Russian Vympel R-73, R-77, French Matra and Israeli Python missiles currently operational with IAF.