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Astra test-fire successful - The New Indian Express
Astra test-fire successful
By Express News Service - BALASORE 22nd December 2012 12:21 PM
Beyond visual range air-to-air missile Astra was test-fired successfully from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the Odisha coast on Friday. The missile was test-fired against a pilot-less target aircraft (PTA).
Defence sources said a PTA _ Lakshya _ was flown from the ITR at about 1.10 pm and after 15 minutes the missile was fired from a specially built ground launcher. Scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which developed the missile, termed both the flight tests successful.
ITR Director MVKV Prasad said the missile covered the desired distance as coordinated and met all the mission objectives.
It was a developmental trial of Astra missile against a PTA which mimicked an enemy aircraft. The test was a preparation exercise for a couple of actual trials scheduled in the next two days, Prasad said.
Developed by the DRDO, the Astra is designed for an 80-km range in head-on mode and 20 km-range in tail-chase mode. As an anti-aircraft missile, it can be fired after receiving a signal from the far away target through its onboard manoeuvres based on radio frequency.
Entirely, a complex missile Astra can intercept fast-moving aerial targets at supersonic speeds (1.2 to 1.4 Mach).
A source at the test range said the missile was tested for 15-km range against an electronic target. Scientists working on this project maintained that Astra could perform effectively at various altitudes.
One of its versions having 90 to 110 km range can cruise at an altitude of 15 km, another having a range of 44 km can target at an altitude of up to 30,000 ft while the third one with a range of 30 km at sea level altitude, said a defence scientist.
The single-stage, smoke-less, solid propelled missile is one of the smallest missiles developed by the DRDO as far as size and weight are concerned.
Astra test-fire successful
By Express News Service - BALASORE 22nd December 2012 12:21 PM
Beyond visual range air-to-air missile Astra was test-fired successfully from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the Odisha coast on Friday. The missile was test-fired against a pilot-less target aircraft (PTA).
Defence sources said a PTA _ Lakshya _ was flown from the ITR at about 1.10 pm and after 15 minutes the missile was fired from a specially built ground launcher. Scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which developed the missile, termed both the flight tests successful.
ITR Director MVKV Prasad said the missile covered the desired distance as coordinated and met all the mission objectives.
It was a developmental trial of Astra missile against a PTA which mimicked an enemy aircraft. The test was a preparation exercise for a couple of actual trials scheduled in the next two days, Prasad said.
Developed by the DRDO, the Astra is designed for an 80-km range in head-on mode and 20 km-range in tail-chase mode. As an anti-aircraft missile, it can be fired after receiving a signal from the far away target through its onboard manoeuvres based on radio frequency.
Entirely, a complex missile Astra can intercept fast-moving aerial targets at supersonic speeds (1.2 to 1.4 Mach).
A source at the test range said the missile was tested for 15-km range against an electronic target. Scientists working on this project maintained that Astra could perform effectively at various altitudes.
One of its versions having 90 to 110 km range can cruise at an altitude of 15 km, another having a range of 44 km can target at an altitude of up to 30,000 ft while the third one with a range of 30 km at sea level altitude, said a defence scientist.
The single-stage, smoke-less, solid propelled missile is one of the smallest missiles developed by the DRDO as far as size and weight are concerned.
