Mihir Paul

India’s first air-to-air missile, the Astra, is spearheading the country’s missile-making capabilities. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), this beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile is capable of engaging aerial targets at distances up to 80km.

Astra Beyond-Visual-Range missile test fired from IAF’s Su-30MKI

While Astra’s preliminary work started in 1990, it has since undergone multiple modifications and rounds of successful test-firings. It is already integrated successfully into the IAF’s Su-30MKIs, Mirage 2000s, and will be integrated into the MiG-29s in the future. The missile retains a high Single Shot Kill Probability (SSKP) making it highly reliable. It comes fitted with a high-explosive pre-fragmented warhead and can reach speeds of up to Mach 4.5.

It