The Indian Air Force on Tuesday successfully test-fired the indigenously developed Astra air-to-air missile system off the Odisha Coast.
The missile fired from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet. The missile can strike targets beyond 100 Kms of range, according to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The Astra Mk-1 missile has been integrated with IAF's Sukhoi Su-30MKI and will be integrated with the Navy's Mirage 2000, indigenous LCA Tejas Mark1A and the updated MiG-29 fighter jets in the future.
Limited series production of Astra Mk-1 missiles began in 2017. The missile is 3.6 m (12 ft) long with a diameter of 178 mm (7.0 in) and weighs 154 kg (340 lb).
Notably, the Defence Ministry last year had sealed a contract worth ₹ 2,971 crore with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) to procure several batches of the Astra MK-I beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missiles and associated equipment.
The Astra MK-I BVR AAM has been indigenously designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) based on the requirements issued by the IAF.
The Astra MK-I missile and all associated systems for its launch, ground handling and testing have been developed by the DRDO in coordination with the IAF.
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