Astra missile
Astra is an all weather beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is the first air-to-air missile developed by India. It features mid-cource intertial guidance with terminal active radar homing.
Manufacturer: Bharat Dynamics Limited
Mass: 154 kg (340 lb)
Length: 3.57 m (11.7 ft)
Warhead weight: 15 kg (33 lb)
Propellent: Solid fuel
Speed: Mach 4.5
Flight ceiling: 20 km (6600 ft)
Operational range: 110 km (68 mi)
Launch Platform: Sukhoki Su-30MKI
It uses an inertial guidance system driven by a fiber optic gyroscope with terminal guidance through active radar homing. It can bear 40G turns & uses a smokeless rocket motor which makes it hard to detect.
ASTRA is a Beyond Visual Range (BVR) class of Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) system designed to be mounted on fighter aircraft. The missile is designed to engage and destroy highly manoeuvring supersonic aircraft. The missile has all weather day and night capability. The missile is being developed in multiple variants to meet specific requirements. The ASTRA Mk-I Weapon System integrated with SU-30 Mk-I aircraft is being inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Astra is equipped with electronic counter- countermeasures to allow operation even during enemy attempts to jam the seeker using electronic countermeasures. It carries a 15 kg (33 lb) high explosive pre-fragmented warhead activated by a proximity fuse.
Astra 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 20 km (66,000 ft).
The maximum range of Astra is 110 km (68 mi) in head-on chase mode and 20 km (12 mi) in tail chase mode. It has a No- Escape zone of about 30 km. The maximum range is achieved when the missile launched from an altitude of 15 km (49,000 ft). When it is fired from an altitude of 8 km (26,000 ft), the range drops to 44 km (27 mi) and when it is launched from sea level, the range drops further to 21 km (13 mi).
Astra's low aspect ratio wings allow it to engage manoeuvring targets up to a range of 80 km (50 mi) in head-on chase mode and 20 km (12 mi) 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 it is launched.
Variants:-
Astra Mk I: 110 km (68 mi, 30 km of No- Escape zone). It is equivalent to AIM-120C. In active service;
Astra IR: 40 km (24 mi), it is the next generation CCM, it will use an electro-optical infrared homing seeker. It will be capable of "lock-on after launch" (LOAL), and has full-sphere/all-direction (including rearward) attack ability. The missile will features an advanced electro-optical infrared homing seeker which scans the target area for hostile aircraft, then locks-on for terminal chase.It would be equivalent to Python 5.It is currently under development.
Astra Mk II: 160 km (99 mi), it will use Dual- Pulse rocket motor, it will feature a extended no-escape zone & a longer range almost double the previous variant, it would be equivalent to AIM-120D. It is currently under development.
Astra Mk III: 340 km (211 mi) maximum, it will use Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology, The weapon is also equipped with data link communication. Aimed at meeting the needs of a network centric environment, it would be equivalent to Meteor.( Planned)
