India successfully tests Astra missile with indigenous RF seeker

Bhubaneswar : The DRDO & IAF on Friday successfully test-fired beyond visual range air-to-air missile Astra with indigenous radio frequency (RF) seeker from Sukhoi-30 MK-I off Odisha coast. According to the Ministry of Defence, two missiles were fired
against high-speed unmanned aerial targets at different ranges, target aspects and launch platform conditions. Both tests achieved pinpoint accuracy, destroying the targets mid-air. “The flawless performance of the Astra weapon system was validated through flight data captured by range tracking instruments deployed at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur,” it said. These successful flight tests have re-established the accuracy and reliable performance of Astra weapon system with indigenous seeker, the Ministry added. Astra, with a strike range of over 100 km, gives pilots the ability to neutralise threats long before they come into visual contact. In addition to various laboratories of DRDO, more than 50 public and private industries including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited have contributed towards development of the weapon system.
Notably, Odisha has imposed a two-day ban on marine fishing on July 17 and 18 in view of DRDO’s scheduled missile tests from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Balasore district and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Bhadrak district. This temporary restriction applies to the coastal districts – Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, and
Jagatsinghpur.