On Missile Mission

Atul Kumar

Now that the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have together completed testing of the first indigenous beyond-visual-range air-to-air (BVRAAM) Astra, the DRDO has embarked on the new long-range missile programme to fulfil all the remaining air-to-air strike roles in the IAF including the AWACS-killer. These programmes involve future advancement of Astra, which is called Astra Mk.2, Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) propulsion-based BVR and the multi-role Brahmos-NG.

Air-to-air Astra being launched from Su-30MKI

All pre-induction trials of Astra have now been completed and the missile is fully ready after two-decades of development. The DRDO is hopeful that the IAF will place an order for around 200 Astras for its Su-30MKIs fleet. Once mass production begins, Astra will also be mounted on IAF Mirage-2000s, Mig-29UPGs and LCA-Tejas.

Astra is India’s first air-to-air missile that is designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), a lab under state-backed DRDO that redesigned the missile to improve aerodynamics and controls as well as reduced the weight. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) supported DRDL for aircraft modifications and electronics, while over 50 public and private Indian companies contributed in manufacturing Astra BVRAAM.

All critical technologies such as the missile’s RF seeker, navigation and propulsion system were developed in the country. The smokeless missile is fitted with a dual pulse solid rocket motor and RCI’s Ka-band active RF seeker that helps the missile to propel at very high speed of 4.5 Mach and provides an excellent single shot hit probability at short-range as well as l