Astra lethal power to Indian Air Force fighters soon

With the aim of arming Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters with a lethal and state-of-art Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the last three days successfully test-fired Astra five times from the Sukhoi Su-30MKI combat jet off the coast of Chandipur in Odisha. 

With the test-firings, Astra missile has completed the user trial phase. Now, Astra BVRAAM will be inducted into the IAF with the DRDO sounding confident that it will prove to be force multiplier due to its pinpoint accuracy and long-range in taking out aerial threats.

The Su-30MKI fired Astra against Jet Banshee which has been imported from the United Kingdom for target practice. According to the DRDO Jet Banshee simulated all possible threat scenarios and the Su-30MKI was able to hit the target aircraft successfully.

All five Astra tests were carried out in different configurations. While three test-firing involved Astra missile being launched in combat configuration with warhead and manoeuvring targets were neutralised which established that the indigenous BVRAAM had mastered the end game capability. One test-firing was a direct hit of Jet Banshee by the telemetered missile at its maximum range of almost 100 kilometres.