Here comes Astra MK-1 , MK-2 is just around the corner says DRDO

[thestringshredder]

Here comes Astra MK-1 , MK-2 is just around the corner says DRDO

More than 15 years in making and Once dubbed has Problem Child of DRDO, Aastra MK-1 has been successfully test fired from Countries Frontline line fighter aircraft Su-30 MKI , What's Interesting is that DRDO has already informed that Second variant of Astra MK-2 with enhanced range and capacity will be ready by year end of test .

idrw.org brings first pictures of Astra MK-1 fired from Su-30 MKI which were captured by High-speed motion capture camera which were installed on Sukhoi-30 MKI using a special pylon . DRDO have informed that Astra-1 will have 44km range and Astra-2 will have range close to 100km, but sources have informed idrw.org is that Astra-2 will not replace former but will be used in combination with Astra-1 by fighter aircrafts of Indian air force.

High-speed motion capture camera on Su-30 MKI

Link - Here comes Astra MK-1 , MK-2 is just around the corner says DRDO | idrw.org

 

[Ammyy]

Any video for MK1 lauch ??

 

[rockstarIN]

So MK2 will be test fired in this year end.

And they are not getting rid off the MK1 as they will use the same in tandem with MK2.

Is that mean they are aiming MKI to be converted like R-73 for short range use just like MICA IR ? Will we see All Astras in Indian fighters?(No R-73)?

@sancho

 

[koushik]

@Oscar: Thread turning into an off topic troll fest please intervene..!! :-/

So MK2 will be test fired in this year end.

And they are not getting rid off the MK1 as they will use the same in tandem with MK2.

Is that mean they are aiming MKI to be converted like R-73 for short range use just like MICA IR ? Will we see All Astras in Indian fighters?(No R-73)?

@sancho

R-73 isn't going anywhere in the near future..!!
Mig-29s and Su-30 mkis will use it for sure..!!
Then comes the RVV-MD the next gen of the R-73 family..!!
@sancho: any insights bro.??

 

[Capt.Popeye]

@Oscar: Thread turning into an off topic troll fest please intervene..!! :-/



R-73 isn't going anywhere in the near future..!!
Mig-29s and Su-30 mkis will use it for sure..!!
Then comes the RVV-MD the next gen of the R-73 family..!!
@sancho: any insights bro.??

R-73 is pretty much a work-horse of the IAF now. What we are going to be looking at progressively are going to be replacements; but in a while yet.

 

[koushik]

R-73 is pretty much a work-horse of the IAF now. What we are going to be looking at progressively are going to be replacements; but in a while yet.

Exactly the R-73 is a great WVRAAM..!! A potent IR seeker with good jam-resistance and high off boresight capability makes it a real asset..!! No wonder it will stick around

 

[NKVD]

R-73 is pretty much a work-horse of the IAF now. What we are going to be looking at progressively are going to be replacements; but in a while yet.

It was not - R-73 but It's R-77 in the CaG report.India Already issued RFI and many Sources had speculated that EU Meteor will be next Long range BVR for IAF as it is also a part of Large MMRCA deal

 

[rockstarIN]

Exactly the R-73 is a great WVRAAM..!! A potent IR seeker with good jam-resistance and high off boresight capability makes it a real asset..!! No wonder it will stick around

its okay to have R-73 with us. But if we are able to add IR seeker in Astra Mk1 and can be used as short range missile.

meanwhile having an active radar seeker is good too. We can have full range of A2A weapons. short as well as medium range.

 

[koushik]

its okay to have R-73 with us. But if we are able to add IR seeker in Astra Mk1 and can be used as short range missile.

meanwhile having an active radar seeker is good too. We can have full range of A2A weapons. short as well as medium range.

Yes will be a good plan..!!
Will make the entire Astra family a versatile range of Missiles..!!
And taking into account the ground tests of the Astra.....a spin off resulting in the development of a SAM system on the lines of the American sea Sparrow would be great..!!

 

[NKVD]

its okay to have R-73 with us. But if we are able to add IR seeker in Astra Mk1 and can be used as short range missile.

meanwhile having an active radar seeker is good too. We can have full range of A2A weapons. short as well as medium range.

ASTRA also have Boresight Ability

 

[Mujraparty]

don't know how credible the source is but according to this

The Astra is an all-weather all aspect beyond visual range and close combat missile that will be deployed on the IAF's LCA Tejas, Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000 and possibly, the Rafale MMRCA in the future too. The missile sports active radar terminal guidance (dual mode guidance), smokeless propulsion, improve electronic counter-countermeasures and what the DRDO calls improved effectiveness in a multi-target scenario. The Astra also sports autonomous mode guidance (fire and forget), a buddy mode, slaving of seeker to infrared search and track (IRST) and helmed-mounted sight (HMS), and an off boresight launch of upto -/+45 degrees.

SP’s Exculsive - SP's Aviation

 

[rockstarIN]

Yes will be a good plan..!!
Will make the entire Astra family a versatile range of Missiles..!!
And taking into account the ground tests of the Astra.....a spin off resulting in the development of a SAM system on the lines of the American sea Sparrow would be great..!!

Radar seeking missiles are as good as IR missiles as once quoted by @gambit .

Even in short range, we can utilize the MK1 as radar guided(if required, else the on board missile radar will do the job)+ MK2 for medium range.

 

[sancho]

So MK2 will be test fired in this year end.

And they are not getting rid off the MK1 as they will use the same in tandem with MK2.

Is that mean they are aiming MKI to be converted like R-73 for short range use just like MICA IR ? Will we see All Astras in Indian fighters?(No R-73)?

@sancho

Don't give too much on what DRDO says and wait for what actually will be inducted to the air force. There is a confusion about the MK2, since what DRDO is talking about is basically a performance improvement of the current version, but in the design stages, the also fielded an MK2 design, which was very different from the current one and actually came before the current design.
If the current design remains and they simply upgrade it to more performance, it wouldn't be surprising to keep the MK1 versions too. But as long as it remains to be a heavy BVR missile design, without IR seeker or TVC, it can't be used as an R73 replacement.

 

[HariPrasad]

So MK2 will be test fired in this year end.

Too late. It was proposed to be launch in 6 months from the launch of MK1.
Range of MK 1 is much more than 44 KM. In last test, it crossed 100 KM + with a speed of Mach 4.5.

 

[IND151]

Too late. It was proposed to be launch in 6 months from the launch of MK1.
Range of MK 1 is much more than 44 KM. In last test, it crossed 100 KM + with a speed of Mach 4.5.

Kindly provide source for claim.