LCA Tejas successfully test-fires ASTRA air-to-air missile: Aeronautical Development Agency

The test launch was monitored by the Test Director and scientists of the ADA, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) along with officials from the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) and Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DG-AQA). The flight was piloted by Group Captain D Mandal.

“The test launch was monitored by Group Captain B Balaji. The aircraft was also monitored by a Chase Tejas twin seater aircraft piloted by Wing Commander Siddarth Singh KMU (Retd), Flight Test Pilot and Wing Commander K P Kiran Kumar. During the hot debrief, pilots commented that all the objectives of the tests were met and it was the perfect text book launch,” the ADA said.

The ASTRA is a state-of-the-art BVR air-to-air missile to engage and destroy highly manoeuvring supersonic aerial targets designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and other laboratories of the DRDO.

Officials from the ADA said that the successful launch of the ASTRA from Tejas fighters would significantly enhance the combat prowess of Tejas and reduce the dependency on imported weapons.

“The indigenous Astra BVR firing from home grown Tejas fighters is a major step towards Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. Further launches are planned in the next few months to verify the performance,” sources in the ADA said.