Astra Missile: The Indian Air Force and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) worked together and successfully tested the Astra missile in Odisha. This is atype of missile called Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air missile. That means it can hit enemy aircraft that are very far away and not even visible to the pilot. The test was done using the Sukhoi-30 Mk-I fighter jet.
Two missiles were launched during the test, each aimed at high-speed unmanned flying targets. Both targets were destroyed with very high accuracy. The Defence Ministry confirmed that the missile performed just as expected, and all its parts worked well during the flight.
A special part of this success is the seeker inside the missile, which helps it lock onto targets. This seeker was made completely in India. That shows how India is getting stronger at making its own defence equipment. The missile used its radio frequency seeker and followed the path it was supposed to, without any issues. Even the missile’s navigation and guidance systems worked perfectly. This kind of result proves that the Astra missile is not only accurate but also very dependable.
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Why this Missile is Important for India?
The Astra missile is now being added to Indian Air Force fighter jets like the Su-30 Mk-I. This gives the Indian Air Force a big edge in air combat. The missile can travel more than 100 km and can go after very fast enemy jets. Even if the enemy aircraft is turning or trying to escape, the Astra can still follow and hit it. It works in all weather and at any time, day or night.
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The way the missile works is also very advanced. First, it uses inertial guidance to go close to the target. Then it switches to radar homing to lock onto the target and destroy it with great precision. This combination makes it very hard for enemy jets to avoid getting hit.
