Astra Missile | Tactical ballistic missile | air-to-air | Indian Defence Forces | Indian Missile | Missile
Astra is an all weather beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO). It is the first air-to-air missile developed by India. It features mid-course inertial guidance with terminal active radar homing. Astra is designed to be capable of engaging targets at varying range and altitudes allowing for engagement of both short-range targets at a distance of 10 km (6.2 mi) and long-range targets up to a distance of 110 km (68 mi). Astra has been integrated with Indian Air Force's Sukhoi Su-30MKI and will be integrated with Dassault Mirage 2000, HAL Tejas and Mikoyan MiG-29 in the future. Limited series production of Astra missiles began in 2017.
Astra's older design resembled Matra Super 530D and Vympel R-77 in a few aspects. Astra is 3.6 m (12 ft) long with a diameter of 178 mm (7.0 in) and weighs 154 kg (340 lb). It uses an inertial guidance system driven by a fibre optic gyroscope with terminal guidance through active radar homing. It is capable of receiving course corrections through a secure data link. The missile's active radar seeker with a homing range of 25 km (16 mi) is supplied by Agat and will be manufactured locally. The seeker can lock-on to a target with a radar cross section of 5 square metres from a distance of 15 km and enables off-boresight launches up to an angle of 45°. Some tests have been conducted in 2017 and 2018 using an indigenous seeker developed by Research Centre Imarat.
Astra is equipped with electronic counter-countermeasures to allow operation even during enemy attempts to jam the seeker using electronic countermeasures. It carries a 15 kg (33 lb) high explosive pre-fragmented warhead activated by a proximity fuse. Astra uses a smokeless solid fuelled motor that can propel the missile to a speed of Mach 4.5 and allows operation from a maximum altitude of 20 km (66,000 ft). The maximum range of Astra is 110 km (68 mi) in head-on chase mode and 20 km (12 mi) in tail chase mode. The maximum range is achieved when the missile launched from an altitude of 3 km (9,800 ft). When it is fired from an altitude of 2 km (6,600 ft), the range drops to 44 km (27 mi) and when it is launched from sea level, the range drops further to 21 km (13 mi). Astra's low aspect ratio wings allow it to engage manoeuvring targets up to a range of 90 km (56 mi) in head-on chase mode and 60 km (37 mi) in tail chase mode. It can be launched in both autonomous and buddy mode operation and can lock on to its target before or after it is launched.
Trials
Astra went through a series of ground tests from 2003 till 2012 in three different configurations to validate the airframe, propulsion system, control system, dual mode guidance and night firing capability. Carriage trials were carried out in 2009 and 2013 on Sukhoi Su-30MKI. In May 2014, it was fired for the first time in air. On 18 March 2016, the missile was fired in public during Iron Fist 2016 exercise from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI. During a series of seven tests in September 2017, Astra was tested twice with an indigenous seeker. During user trials in 2019, Astra managed to hit a target at a distance of 90 km (56 mi).
Operators
India - Approved due procurement of 248 missile both for Indian Air Force and Indian Navy for use on various platforms like Sukhoi Su-30MKI, HAL Tejas, Mirage 2000, MiG-29 / MiG-29K.
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