Innovating Aerial Defence: The ASTRA Air-to-Air Missile

Recognised as a marvel of engineering, the ASTRA Air-to-Air Missile, a magnificent creation of Indian origin, boasts an incredible range starting from 85 km to up to 350 km, making it a formidable Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air Missile. Designed for modern aerial combat, it serves as a potent weapon in the Indian Air Force and Navy’s arsenal.

This FOX-3-Type missile is engineered to annihilate any incoming aerial target, regardless of weather conditions. Its sheer power and precision are nothing short of awe-inspiring.

In the air-to-air combat scenario, the ASTRA Missile’s advanced active guidance section and mature seeker design equip it with the ability to detect and track targets in the most hostile environments rapidly. This unique feature empowers the missile to engage and neutralize its target at extended ranges and higher altitudes compared to other similar weapons. In essence, the Missile’s exceptional technology and performance capabilities make it a formidable and reliable air-to-air weapon system.

The ASTRA missile is offered in various variants, including the ASTRA Mk-1, which features a range exceeding 110 km, the upgraded ASTRA Mk-2, boasting an extended range of over 160 km, and the ASTRA Mk-3, equipped with an extended range of 350 km for air-to-air kill capability. Both the Mk-2 and Mk-3 variants are currently undergoing rigorous trial phases. Furthermore, a shorter-range version known as Astra IR, with a range of 80 km, is currently in the design and trial phase. For the Indian Navy, the VL-SRSAM has been in active service since 2022.

The missile can engage targets at various distances, ranging from 500 m to a maximum of 350 km. ASTRA Mk-1 has been integrated with the Indian Air Force’s Sukhoi Su-30MKI, MiG-29UPG, and LCA Tejas, as well as the Navy’s MiG-29K. All the variants are expected to be integrated with the Dassault Rafale, the future AMCA, and the TEDBF. Currently, Astra Mk-1 missiles have been in limited series production since 2017.

It employs active radar homing for terminal guiding and mid-course inertial navigation powered by a fibre-optic gyroscope. Using a secure data link, it is able to get course adjustments. The active radar seeker for the missile, with a homing range of 25 km, was created by the Russian company Concern Morinformsystem-Agat but was made in India. The seeker allows off-boresight launches up to a 45° angle and can lock on to a target with a radar cross-section of 5 square metres from a distance of 15 kilometres away.

In order to continue operating even when the adversary tries to jam the seeker with electronic countermeasures, the original Astra Mk-1 is outfitted with electronic counter-countermeasures. It is equipped with a proximity fuse-activated, pre-fragmented explosive warhead weighing 15 kg (33 lb). Operating at a maximum height of 20 km (66,000 ft), the missile can reach a speed of Mach 4.5 thanks to its smokeless solid-fueled motor.

When in tail chase mode, its maximum range is 20 km (12 mi), and when in head-on chase mode, it is 110 km (68 mi). The missile reaches its maximum range when it is launched from a height of 15 km (49,000 ft). Its range decreases to 44 km (27 mi) when shot from an altitude of 8 km (26,000 ft), and to 21 km (13 mi) when launched from sea level.

Astra can engage manoeuvring targets up to a distance of 90 km (56 mi) in head-on pursuit mode and 60 km (37 mi) in tail chase mode thanks to its low aspect ratio wings. It can lock on to its target before or after launch and can operate in both buddy and autonomous modes.

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