SOURCE: VINAYAK SHETTY FOR IDRW.ORG
Astra missile being test-fired at the Integrated Test Range in Odisha 2012.
It was almost decade back in 2003 when for first time Astra was tested without control and guidance systems in media tests were dubbed Successful but in actual, missiles failed to clear mission objectives and it was re-tested again with marginal success in following years , until time came when Missile was back on drawing board and scientist ditched old design and worked on a new missile design .
It was only in 2012 when newly designed missile was tested again with total success, achieving the entire mission objectives, according to sources who informed idrw.org that it was most challenging and complex missile program DRDO and its labs had ever taken and admitted earlier missile was unstable in flights.
Captive flight trials in a Sukhoi-30MKI were successfully carried out this summer and first test firing of missile from Sukhoi-30 will be carried out by end of this year, once it achieves success missile will be integrated with indigenously developed Lca Tejas fighter aircraft by 2015.
DRDO have informed that Astra-1 will have 44km range and Astra-2 will have range close to 100km, but sources have informed idrw.org is that Astra-2 will not replace former but will be used in combination with Astra-1 by fighter aircrafts of Indian air force.
DRDO is planning to complete User trails by mid of 2015 and put Astra-1 in production by end of 2015 and new Astra-2 will likely be ready in Next three years. Missile according to sources will have similar design but will weigh more and will have better and advance seeker.
Sources have hinted that likely spin off Astra project will be development of advance mobile anti-aircraft missile system. System will be quick reaction missile system with 360° engagement capability that can engage aircraft, helicopters and drones.
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