Indian Air Force Boosts Air Defence Arsenal With Indigenous Astra Missiles

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is going to improve its air defenses by buying a lot of Astra Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air to Air Missiles made in India. These contracts, which were given to Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), will help India become more independent in its defense making. The first group of Astra missiles should be in the IAF’s collection by the end of 2023.

The more advanced and longer-range Astra-Mk2 is already being worked on, which is a big step toward India’s goal of being able to defend itself without relying on other countries. Static firing tests have been completed successfully, showing that the missile is ready to be manufactured. The Center for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) has given BDL Bulk Production Clearance. This is a big step forward for India’s defense production.

The Astra missile system has already shown what it can do by being fully built into the Su-30MKI. It was tested successfully in August from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas off the coast of Goa. The missile was sent into the air at about 20,000 feet.

Astra MK-1 to lead the way: Reducing import dependency

The IAF wants to put Astra MK-1 missiles on its frontline fighters, which shows how important the system is to India’s air defense policy. Also, officials have said that the Astra MK-2 is going to be the mainstay of the IAF’s BVR missile arsenal. This will make India much less dependent on defense technology that is brought in from other countries.

The Defense Ministry had already made a deal with BDL in May 2022 to buy Astra MK-I rockets and other equipment. The deal was worth ₹2,971 crore. Reports say that the IAF wants to buy more than 200 MK-1 missiles at first, which shows how effective and reliable the system is.

The BVR air-to-air missile system in the Astra missile system is cutting edge and has a range of more than 100 kilometers. It is made to attack and destroy supersonic objects that are very maneuverable. The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), and a number of other DRDO laboratories worked together to make this technological achievement possible. India is committed to improving its own defense powers, as shown by the successful development and integration of the Astra missile system.