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A litmus test for Astra as it finishes trial
Published March 14, 2016 SOURCE: TNN
Iron Fist 2016, the Indian Air Force exercise in the Pokhran deserts, will prove to be a litmus test for Astra, the Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), which having successfully completed its user trials including those for its seekers will be officially fired for the first time on March 18 in full public view, including the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As per Dr K Jayaraman, director, Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, the primary development agency for Astra the development and trials of the missile having been put on a fast track and the missile shall go into production by year end. Paving its way for induction into the Indian Air Force, March 18 will be the day when India would move closer to being equipped with a missile power comparable to only a few in the world when Astra would be fired from a Su-30 aircraft here. Astra an indigenous product of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, shall take India into elite group of nations including the USA, France, Russia and Israel which possess such missiles capable of engaging ultra-modern supersonic fighter jets. Dr Jayaraman said that recently the Radio Frequency (RF) Seeker performance trials have successfully spelled out Astra’s capability to lock-on before launch. He further said that Astra’s capability with respect to undergoing manoeuvres involving very high gravitational forces upto the order of 30-Gs, engaging Lakshya (pilotless aircraft) target with precision, firing from various altitudes (from sea level to 20 kms) at different Mach speeds and RF seekers capable to engage targets during the terminal stage requiring no guidance etc has already been tested successfully. The missile is comparable with the best in the world including the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM of US. Astra, having been tested for its robustness and endurance capability as a formidable weapon system is unparalleled while talking about its aerodynamics, propulsion system, control and guidance systems, dual mode guidance and performance under various weather conditions. Astra can be fired at both sub-sonic speeds and super-sonic speeds. IAF’s wait for Astra is intertwined with a delay involving more than 10 years of development trials by DRDO since 2003. After its initial poor performance more than 12 years back, Astra was sent back to drawing board and has now an altogether new design. In the absence of a low-cost indigenous BVRAAM, IAF has been importing missiles from Israel, Russia and France to equip its fighter fleet. Prestigious plans are in place to arm various IAF aircraft, including indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas), Mirage 2000, Su-30 MKI and even the Sea Harrier with Astra. DRDO is working on different versions of Astra for different altitudes and ranges, including Astra Mark-I which shall have a range of 44 Km and Astra Mark-II with a range of over 100 Km. This single stage, solid fuelled, 3.8 metre long missile is capable of cruising at various altitudes while evading radar and intercepting and engaging the ‘supersonic targets’ by manoeuvring its speed accordingly. Armed with superior Electronic Warfare capabilities, its Electronic Counter-Counter Measures lend it immunity from being followed and targeted. Astra can carry a 15 Kg High Explosive warhead at a Mach 4 speed. It can engage manoeuvring targets moving at high supersonic speeds and varying distances and heights and has a proximity fuse. The missile itself can be launched from various altitudes with varying ranges even during the aircraft manoeuvres
..http://idrw.org . Read more at India's No 1 Defence News Website and not at Copycat Websites , We lead others follow us. A litmus test for Astra as it finishes trial .
Published March 14, 2016 SOURCE: TNN
Iron Fist 2016, the Indian Air Force exercise in the Pokhran deserts, will prove to be a litmus test for Astra, the Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), which having successfully completed its user trials including those for its seekers will be officially fired for the first time on March 18 in full public view, including the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As per Dr K Jayaraman, director, Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, the primary development agency for Astra the development and trials of the missile having been put on a fast track and the missile shall go into production by year end. Paving its way for induction into the Indian Air Force, March 18 will be the day when India would move closer to being equipped with a missile power comparable to only a few in the world when Astra would be fired from a Su-30 aircraft here. Astra an indigenous product of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, shall take India into elite group of nations including the USA, France, Russia and Israel which possess such missiles capable of engaging ultra-modern supersonic fighter jets. Dr Jayaraman said that recently the Radio Frequency (RF) Seeker performance trials have successfully spelled out Astra’s capability to lock-on before launch. He further said that Astra’s capability with respect to undergoing manoeuvres involving very high gravitational forces upto the order of 30-Gs, engaging Lakshya (pilotless aircraft) target with precision, firing from various altitudes (from sea level to 20 kms) at different Mach speeds and RF seekers capable to engage targets during the terminal stage requiring no guidance etc has already been tested successfully. The missile is comparable with the best in the world including the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM of US. Astra, having been tested for its robustness and endurance capability as a formidable weapon system is unparalleled while talking about its aerodynamics, propulsion system, control and guidance systems, dual mode guidance and performance under various weather conditions. Astra can be fired at both sub-sonic speeds and super-sonic speeds. IAF’s wait for Astra is intertwined with a delay involving more than 10 years of development trials by DRDO since 2003. After its initial poor performance more than 12 years back, Astra was sent back to drawing board and has now an altogether new design. In the absence of a low-cost indigenous BVRAAM, IAF has been importing missiles from Israel, Russia and France to equip its fighter fleet. Prestigious plans are in place to arm various IAF aircraft, including indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas), Mirage 2000, Su-30 MKI and even the Sea Harrier with Astra. DRDO is working on different versions of Astra for different altitudes and ranges, including Astra Mark-I which shall have a range of 44 Km and Astra Mark-II with a range of over 100 Km. This single stage, solid fuelled, 3.8 metre long missile is capable of cruising at various altitudes while evading radar and intercepting and engaging the ‘supersonic targets’ by manoeuvring its speed accordingly. Armed with superior Electronic Warfare capabilities, its Electronic Counter-Counter Measures lend it immunity from being followed and targeted. Astra can carry a 15 Kg High Explosive warhead at a Mach 4 speed. It can engage manoeuvring targets moving at high supersonic speeds and varying distances and heights and has a proximity fuse. The missile itself can be launched from various altitudes with varying ranges even during the aircraft manoeuvres
..http://idrw.org . Read more at India's No 1 Defence News Website and not at Copycat Websites , We lead others follow us. A litmus test for Astra as it finishes trial .
