In the continual race to gain the most deadliest weapons India is not far off. The Indian Air Force will soon gain close to 200 Astra Mark 1 air-to-air missiles, whose production has been green-flagged by the Indian Air Force. These missiles will be applicable for both Sukhoi fighters as well as the indigenous Tejas multirole fighter jet. The Astra Mark 1 purchase orders were green-flagged last year by the Security Procurement Committee, and since then the missile has been tested rigorously.
The Astra Mk-1 is equipped with electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) 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 DRDO-developed laser proximity fuse. The missile uses a smokeless, solid-fuel motor that can propel it to a speed of Mach 4.5 and allows operation from a maximum altitude of 20 km. Its maximum range is achieved when the missile is launched from an altitude of 20 km.
Its maximum range is 20 km in tail-chase mode and 110 km in head-on chase mode. The maximum range is achieved when the missile is launched from an altitude of over 15 km.
Astra Mark 1 vs Turkish Missiles
After rigorous testing, the missile has been cleared for production. As per expectations, the new air-to-air missile could prove to be even deadlier than the Turkish-made air-to-air missiles. The Astra missiles have been developed by DRDO and will be produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited. Astra Mark 1 will be able to attack targets within a range of 80–110 km, and the missile is capable of achieving speeds of up to Mach 4.5 with ease.
Astra Mark 2 Under Development
The Mark 2 variant will be able to strike enemy targets within a range of 130 km. The new Astra Mark 2 will soon be brought under testing. Beyond this, DRDO is also planning to develop an all-new long-range missile as well. These long-range missiles will be able to travel close to 300 km.
Apart from the Mark 2, a new beyond-visual-range missile was also tested. It was attached to the Tejas jet and launched from 20,000 ft, and the missile performed as per expectations.
The Astra Mark 1 can easily surpass jamming devices due to its high-tech build. The missile has an indigenous seeker; hence it can lock onto its target even when enemies try to evade attack with the help of jammers.
