India successfully test-fires air-to-air missile 'ASTRA'

India on Thursday successfully test-fired its Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile ASTRA off the coast of Odisha near the Integrated Test Range, Balasore.

A release by the Defence Ministry said that a Sukhoi-30 aircraft carrying an ASTRA missile was tested against a Lakshya (Pilotless Target Aircraft) target. The target was successfully engaged and it was captured by Telemetry and Electro-optical tracking stations.

"The fourth and fifth air launch of the ASTRA was perfect in all respects and engaged the target with precision. More tests will follow to prove its repeatability," Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) project director Dr. S Venugopal said. he missile has been indigenously designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), with the DRDL as the primary development agency.