Astra (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
: "weapon") is an Indian family of all weather
beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile
The newest and the oldest member of Rafael's Python family of AAM for comparisons, Python-5 (displayed lower-front) and Shafrir-1 (upper-back)
An air-to-air missile (AAM) is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying a ...
, developed by the
Defence Research and Development Organisation
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (IAST: ''Raksā Anūsandhān Evam Vikās Sangaṭhan'') is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India ...
. The missile is capable of engaging targets at varying ranges from a distance of up to . Astra Mk-1 has been integrated with
Indian Air Force's Sukhoi Su-30MKI
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI (NATO reporting name: Flanker-H) is a twinjet Multirole combat aircraft, multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russia's Sukhoi and built under licence by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian A ...
and will be integrated with
Dassault Mirage 2000
The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (''Arm ...
,
HAL Tejas
The HAL Tejas is an Indian, single engine, delta wing, light multirole fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in collaboration with Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for t ...
and
Mikoyan MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG- ...
in the future. Limited series production of Astra Mk-1 missiles began in 2017.
Description
Astra Mk-1 is long with a diameter of and weighs . It uses mid-course
inertial guidance
An inertial navigation system (INS) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors (accelerometers), rotation sensors ( gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning the position, the orientation, and the velocity (dire ...
driven by
fibre optic gyroscope
A fibre-optic gyroscope (FOG) senses changes in orientation using the Sagnac effect, thus performing the function of a mechanical gyroscope. However its principle of operation is instead based on the interference of light which has passed throug ...
with
terminal guidance In the field of weaponry, terminal guidance refers to any guidance system that is primarily or solely active during the "terminal phase", just before the weapon impacts its target. The term is generally used in reference to missile guidance systems, ...
through
active radar homing
Active radar homing (ARH) is a missile guidance method in which a missile contains a radar transceiver (in contrast to semi-active radar homing, which uses only a receiver) and the electronics necessary for it to find and track its target aut ...
.
It is capable of receiving course corrections through a secure data link. The missile's active radar seeker, with a homing range of , was designed by Russia's
Concern Morinformsystem-Agat but manufactured within India.
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
Research Centre Imarat (RCI) is a DRDO laboratory located in Hyderabad, Telangana. The lab is responsible for Research and Development of Missile Systems, Guided Weapons and advanced Avionics for Indian Armed Forces. It was established by APJ Ab ...
.
Astra Mk-1 is equipped with
electronic counter-countermeasure
Electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) is a part of electronic warfare which includes a variety of practices which attempt to reduce or eliminate the effect of electronic countermeasures (ECM) on electronic sensors aboard vehicles, ships and ai ...
s to allow operation even during enemy attempts to jam the seeker using
electronic countermeasure
An electronic countermeasure (ECM) is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting info ...
s. It carries a
high explosive
An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...
pre-fragmented warhead activated by a
proximity fuse
A proximity fuze (or fuse) is a Fuze (munitions), fuze that detonates an Explosive material, explosive device automatically when the distance to the target becomes smaller than a predetermined value. Proximity fuzes are designed for targets such ...
.
It 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 .
Its maximum range is in tail chase mode and in head on chase mode.
The maximum range is achieved when the missile launched from an altitude of . When it is fired from an altitude of , the range drops to and when it is launched from sea level, the range drops further to .
Astra's low
aspect ratio wings allow it to engage manoeuvring targets up to a range of in head-on chase mode and 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
After may refer to:
Literature
* ''After'' (Elgar), an 1895 poem by Philip Bourke Marston set to music by Edward Elgar
* ''After'' (Prose novel), a 2003 novel by Francine Prose
* ''After'' (book), a 2005 book by Canadian writer Francis Chalifour
...
it is launched.
Development
Preliminary work on Astra Mk-1 had begun by 1990 with the completion of a pre-feasibility study. It was revealed to the public for the first time at Aero India 1998. It was described as an elongated
Matra Super 530D with a smaller diameter in front of the wings. The project to develop the missile was officially sanctioned in 2004 with a budget of . The project was to be led by
Defence Research and Development Laboratory
Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) is an Indian missile development laboratory, part of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Their charter is centered on the design, development, and flight evaluation of vari ...
with assistance from
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence (military), defence company, headquartered in Bangalore, India. Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manuf ...
and
Electronics Corporation of India Limited
Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) ( ईलेक्ट्रॉनिक्स कॉर्पोरेशन ऑफ ईन्डिया लिमिटेड ( ) ) is a Public Sector Enterprise under the Department of Atomi ...
. The initial version of Astra Mk-1 reportedly weighed with a range of and was planned to be integrated with
HAL Tejas
The HAL Tejas is an Indian, single engine, delta wing, light multirole fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in collaboration with Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for t ...
. It was tested for the first time in May 2003.
The missile was redesigned around 2006 due to control issues and performance deficiencies at high altitude. The initial design of four cruciform
short-span long-chord wings were replaced by
cropped delta
A delta wing is a wing shaped in the form of a triangle. It is named for its similarity in shape to the Greek uppercase letter delta (Δ).
Although long studied, it did not find significant applications until the Jet Age, when it proved suitabl ...
wings placed near the nose. The redesigned missile had an improved propulsion system and was tested for the first time in 2008.
By 2013, the missile had been redesigned again in response to multiple failures caused by adverse interactions between flight control surfaces.
The control, guidance, and propulsion systems were also reconfigured. After the second redesign, the missile was lighter than the initial version by around . It was tested from the ground thrice in December 2012 and captive trials from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI were held in April 2013.
Variants
Air-to-air missile versions
After the deployment of Astra Mk-1, several offshoot versions are being planned including an
imaging Infra-red homing missile tentatively classified as Astra-IR, a longer range Astra Mk-2 version and a further development called Astra Mk-3.
India's DRDO is undertaking work on a Mk 2 version of the Astra missile and has planned to enhance its range using an in-house developed
dual-
pulse rocket motor by May 2022.
The missile will have a similar design as well as share a smokeless propulsion of its predecessor Mk-1, boast a
laser proximity fuze and some newer technologies like a home-grown AESA radar seeker.
DRDO plans to extend the range of the Mk-2 version to , rivaling American
AMRAAM AIM 120-D.
A future variant Mk-3 based on
Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) engine is being jointly developed by India and Russia.
The missile was first tested on 30 May 2018 and further test was carried out on 8 February 2019.
The aim of the program to develop an indigenous missile rivaling
AIM-260 JATM
The AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) is an American beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) under development by Lockheed Martin. Designed to address advanced threats, the missile is expected to replace or supplement the A ...
and
MBDA Meteor
A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space.
Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as micr ...
.
Surface-to-air missile versions
![Maiden launch of VL-SRSAM by DRDO (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Maiden_launch_of_VL-SRSAM_by_DRDO_%28cropped%29.jpg)
To fulfill the need of
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates sig ...
's replacement of
Barak-1 short range
surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...
system, DRDO successfully test fired two VL-SRSAM on 22 February 2021 at
Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
coast. The maiden launch tested the efficacy of vertical launch system and missile's maximum and minimum range. Both the missile successfully intercepted their target with pin point accuracy.
VL-SRSAM supersedes the cancelled
Maitri missile
The Maitri missile project was a cancelled proposal for a next-generation quick-reaction surface-to-air missile (QRSAM) with a lethal near-hundred per cent kill probability (according to manufacturer's claim) planned for development by India's D ...
project undertaken jointly by
MBDA
MBDA is a European multinational developer and manufacturer of missiles.[MBDA Inc. US Division Cor ...](_blank)
and
DRDO
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (IAST: ''Raksā Anūsandhān Evam Vikās Sangaṭhan'') is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, ...
based on the work done on
MICA
Micas ( ) are a group of silicate minerals whose outstanding physical characteristic is that individual mica crystals can easily be split into extremely thin elastic plates. This characteristic is described as perfect basal cleavage. Mica is ...
and
Trishul. The missile will arm Indian Navy ships like
Kamorta-class corvette
The ''Kamorta''-class corvettes or Project 28 are a class of anti-submarine warfare stealth corvettes currently in service with the Indian Navy. Built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, they are the first anti-submarin ...
with short range air defense system. The missile use
jet vane based thrust vectoring control to give high maneuverability to the missile. The missile maybe guided by
Revathi radar which is extensively being used in Indian Navy ship like
Kamorta-class corvette
The ''Kamorta''-class corvettes or Project 28 are a class of anti-submarine warfare stealth corvettes currently in service with the Indian Navy. Built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, they are the first anti-submarin ...
.
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
may also sport VL-SRSAM in truck-based launcher to supplement its
Akash surface-to-air missile as a quick reaction system similar to Norwegian/American
NASAM 2.
Trials
Astra Mk-1 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 2015, it successfully performed manoeuvre of upto 30g while engaging the target. The missile was fired in public during
Iron Fist 2016 exercise from Sukhoi Su-30MKI. During a series of seven tests in September 2017, Astra Mk-1 was tested twice with an indigenous seeker.
During user trials in 2019, it hit a target at a distance of .
Astra Mk-1 with an indigenous seeker (instead of a Russian variant supplied by AGAT) is expected to be tested for the first time in May 2022.
Astra Mk-2
During an annual press conference on October 4, 2022, IAF released footage of Astra Mk-2 launched from Su-30MKI using Unified Common Launcher developed by DRDO with industry partners for air to air missiles.
Production
Astra completed final development trials in September 2017 and was cleared for production by
Bharat Dynamics Limited
Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) is one of India's manufacturers of ammunitions and missile systems. It was founded in 1970 in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. BDL was established to be a manufacturing base for guided weapon systems and begun with a p ...
(BDL). The missile will be manufactured at Bhanur,
Telangana
Telangana (; , ) is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian subcontinent, Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India b ...
for an initial order of 50 missiles. Additional order of 248 missiles were placed for
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
and
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates sig ...
for use on various platforms like
Sukhoi Su-30MKI
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI (NATO reporting name: Flanker-H) is a twinjet Multirole combat aircraft, multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russia's Sukhoi and built under licence by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian A ...
,
HAL Tejas
The HAL Tejas is an Indian, single engine, delta wing, light multirole fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in collaboration with Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for t ...
,
MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...
/
MiG-29K.
On 31 May 2022,
Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
(MoD) signed contract with BDL worth ₹2,971 crore (US$383 million) to produce 350+ units of Astra Mk-1 for Indian Air Force and Indian Navy under high priority Indian Designed, Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) category. DRDO already started the process of transferring technology of the missile and associated systems to BDL. Each missile will cost ₹7–8 crore. Astra Mk-1 along with other variants of this missile will progressively replace all Russian origin long range air to air missile in Indian fleet.
Operators
;
*
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
*
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates sig ...
Gallery
File:Astra missile launched from a ground-based launcher.jpg, Astra tested from ground-based launcher during initial developmental trial.
File:ASTRA, the indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), successfully test fired by the Indian Air Force from Su-30 aircraft, from Air Force Station, Kalaikunda on September 26, 2018.JPG, Astra fired from an Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
Su-30MKI
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI (NATO reporting name: Flanker-H) is a twinjet multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russia's Sukhoi and built under licence by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). A variant ...
File:Astra BVRAAM successfully test fired from Su-30MKI off the Odisha coast on September 17, 2019.jpg, Su-30MKI
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI (NATO reporting name: Flanker-H) is a twinjet multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russia's Sukhoi and built under licence by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). A variant ...
fires an Astra missile
See also
*
AIM-120 AMRAAM
The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM (pronounced ), is an American beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. It is 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter, and employs ...
*
Derby (missile)
The Rafael Python is a family of air-to-air missiles (AAMs) built by the Israeli weapons manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, formerly RAFAEL Armament Development Authority. Originally starting with the ''Shafrir'' ( he, שפריר, loos ...
*
MICA (missile)
The Missile d’Interception, de Combat et d’Auto-défense (English: "Interception, Combat and Self-protection Missile") or MICA is a French anti-air multi-target, all weather, fire-and-forget short and medium-range missile system manufactured b ...
*
R-77
The Vympel NPO R-77 missile (NATO reporting name: AA-12 Adder) is a Russian active radar homing beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. It is also known by its export designation RVV-AE. It is the Russian counterpart to the American AIM-120 AMRA ...
*
R-27EA
*
PL-12
The PL-12 (, NATO reporting name: CH-AA-7) is an active radar-guided beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile developed by the People's Republic of China. It is considered comparable to the US AIM-120 AMRAAM and the Russian R-77.
History
Develop ...
*
R-Darter
The R-Darter is a beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile guided by an active radar homing seeker. It was designed and manufactured by the South African firm Kentron, now known as Denel Dynamics.
The South African air-to-air missile progr ...
*
Meteor
A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space.
Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as micr ...
*
PL-15
The PL-15 (, NATO reporting name: CH-AA-10A) is an active radar-guided long-range air-to-air missile developed by the People's Republic of China.
History
The PL-15 is developed by Luoyang-based CAMA. The missile was test fired in 2011 and refer ...
References
External links
Globalsecurity
Technical:
DRDO Technology Focus : Warhead for Missiles, Torpedoes and Rockets
{{DEFAULTSORT:Astra Missile
Defence Research and Development Organisation
Air-to-air missiles of India
Guided missiles of India
Post–Cold War weapons of India
Military equipment introduced in the 2010s