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India took the first step towards joining a select group of nations by successfully test-firing a prototype of the beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile 'Astra' from the Chandipur interim test range on Friday.
The 'Astra' missile, on the drawing board for several years, is being developed indigenously to arm all fighters in the IAF's inventory, including the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) when it becomes fully operational by around 2010.
"This was just the first ground-launched test. Such tests will be followed by a series of in-flight tests from fighter jets. The missile will probably take five-six years to become operational," said a source.
However, the first-ever test of 'Astra' is important because BVR combat is increasingly becoming the norm, as opposed to WVR (within visual range) combat, in modern air-warfare.
"The days of aerial dog-fights are getting over...the ability to detect, track and destroy enemy aircraft much before they come in visual contact is the game now," said an expert.
Though the 3.8-m long 'Astra' version test-fired on Friday had a strike range of 25-40 km, defence scientists are looking at a 80-100 km 'head-on' range.
Powered by a solid-fuel propellant at present, the missile is to be armed with a 15-kg high explosive warhead. IAF's frontline fighters like Sukhoi-30MKIs and Mirage-2000s are currently armed with some expensive BVR missiles of French and Russian origin like the 'Matra Super 530D' and 'AA-12 Adder'.
"Astra, once ready, will prove to be more advanced and much cheaper. With a speed of more than 3,000 miles per hour, it will have micro-systems and mid-course guidance systems on board to keep after a moving target," said an official.
"It will also have electronic counter-measures to evade enemy fire," he added. Only the US, Russia and a few NATO countries have the capability to develop such a BVR air-to-air missile at present.
By IANS
Friday March 23, 09:32 PM
Balasore (Orissa), March 23 (IANS) Close on the heels of Pakistan's successful test-firing of nuclear capable Hatf VII Babar missile Thursday, India prepares to test fire its two home-grown missiles from a defence base in Orissa in the next few days.
Scientists are all set to test 'Dhanush', the nuclear-capable naval version of the 'Prithvi' short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) and an air-to-air 'Astra' missile from the Chandipur defence base in the state's coastal district of Balasore, some 230 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar, defence sources said.
Astra is being considered as a new system in India's guided missile development programme. With solid propellant, the missile has a striking range of 25 to 40 kilometres.
While Dhanush is likely to be test-fired Sunday, about four rounds of Astra missile will be tested March 26 and 27, the sources said.
'The Dhanush missile will be tested inside the Bay of Bengal from a ship - INS Rajput positioned nearly 60 km from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur and Paradip coast.
The Astra missile will be test-fired from launching complex no. II (LC-II) of the ITR,' the sources told IANS.
Dhanush, developed and built by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has a 250-km striking range and can carry single warhead up to 750 kg.
The missile, which is a part of India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), is about 8.53 metres long and 0.9 metre wide besides its launch weight about 4.4 tonnes. It uses liquid propellant.
Scientists have planned to test two variants of the 'Dhanush'. While one will have a striking range of 250 km, the other will be able to hit targets 500 km away.
Similarly, the Astra missile also has been developed by the DRDO. The goal of this test-firing is to provide the Indian Air Force (IAF) with a beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) to equip the IAF's Mirage 2000, MiG-29, Su-30MKI and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
The 'Astra' missile, on the drawing board for several years, is being developed indigenously to arm all fighters in the IAF's inventory, including the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) when it becomes fully operational by around 2010.
"This was just the first ground-launched test. Such tests will be followed by a series of in-flight tests from fighter jets. The missile will probably take five-six years to become operational," said a source.
However, the first-ever test of 'Astra' is important because BVR combat is increasingly becoming the norm, as opposed to WVR (within visual range) combat, in modern air-warfare.
"The days of aerial dog-fights are getting over...the ability to detect, track and destroy enemy aircraft much before they come in visual contact is the game now," said an expert.
Though the 3.8-m long 'Astra' version test-fired on Friday had a strike range of 25-40 km, defence scientists are looking at a 80-100 km 'head-on' range.
Powered by a solid-fuel propellant at present, the missile is to be armed with a 15-kg high explosive warhead. IAF's frontline fighters like Sukhoi-30MKIs and Mirage-2000s are currently armed with some expensive BVR missiles of French and Russian origin like the 'Matra Super 530D' and 'AA-12 Adder'.
"Astra, once ready, will prove to be more advanced and much cheaper. With a speed of more than 3,000 miles per hour, it will have micro-systems and mid-course guidance systems on board to keep after a moving target," said an official.
"It will also have electronic counter-measures to evade enemy fire," he added. Only the US, Russia and a few NATO countries have the capability to develop such a BVR air-to-air missile at present.
By IANS
Friday March 23, 09:32 PM
Balasore (Orissa), March 23 (IANS) Close on the heels of Pakistan's successful test-firing of nuclear capable Hatf VII Babar missile Thursday, India prepares to test fire its two home-grown missiles from a defence base in Orissa in the next few days.
Scientists are all set to test 'Dhanush', the nuclear-capable naval version of the 'Prithvi' short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) and an air-to-air 'Astra' missile from the Chandipur defence base in the state's coastal district of Balasore, some 230 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar, defence sources said.
Astra is being considered as a new system in India's guided missile development programme. With solid propellant, the missile has a striking range of 25 to 40 kilometres.
While Dhanush is likely to be test-fired Sunday, about four rounds of Astra missile will be tested March 26 and 27, the sources said.
'The Dhanush missile will be tested inside the Bay of Bengal from a ship - INS Rajput positioned nearly 60 km from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur and Paradip coast.
The Astra missile will be test-fired from launching complex no. II (LC-II) of the ITR,' the sources told IANS.
Dhanush, developed and built by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has a 250-km striking range and can carry single warhead up to 750 kg.
The missile, which is a part of India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), is about 8.53 metres long and 0.9 metre wide besides its launch weight about 4.4 tonnes. It uses liquid propellant.
Scientists have planned to test two variants of the 'Dhanush'. While one will have a striking range of 250 km, the other will be able to hit targets 500 km away.
Similarly, the Astra missile also has been developed by the DRDO. The goal of this test-firing is to provide the Indian Air Force (IAF) with a beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) to equip the IAF's Mirage 2000, MiG-29, Su-30MKI and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).