"Astra is a beyond visual range air-to-air missile. The test was a success,” S P Das, Director of the ITR, said.
“There may be some more tests in the next couple of days,” he added.
India gets its first missile woman
The state-run Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has already completed the control flights of ‘Astra,’ designed for an 80-km range in head-on mode and 20 km-range in tail-chase mode.
The beyond visual range missile has been integrated with the carrier aircraft Sukhoi-30 MKI and might be integrated with other fighter jets (Mirage 2000 and MiG 29) once all tests are done to verify its accuracy in destroying manoeuvring targets.
The Hyderabad-based Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) took nearly five years to develop the 150-kg tactical missile at an estimated cost of Rs10 billion under the integrated guided missile development programme of the DRDO. Possessing such a futuristic weapon will propel India into an elite club of countries such as the US, Russia, France and Israel.
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