SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
In 2020, MoD had placed orders for 250 indigenously designed Astra Mk1 Beyond Visual range air to air missiles for the air force and navy after IAF had already placed an initial order for 50 Astra-Mk1 missiles in Limited production batches. With the production line of the missile system now becoming stable and pre-production batches now operational with two squadrons of the frontline Su-30MKI fleet, MoD and IAF are looking to scale up the intake of the Astra missiles as more Su-30MKI squadrons are being enabled to fire the missile .
100 units of Astra Mk1 will be procured per year after the upgradation of the missile system with the new AESA Seeker likely from 2023 onwards with plans afoot to enable the locally developed air to air missiles also on the Mig-29UPG type next. HAL and IAF are also working on enabling four more Su-30MKI squadrons that will clear them to be equipped with the Astra Mk1 BVRAAMs by end of 2023.
Long waited trials of the Astra missiles from the LCA-Tejas Mk1 jet that already has completed captive flight trials and soon trials be carried out from the aircraft so that they are operationally cleared on the Tejas Mk1A jets from 2024-25 onwards when deliveries starts. Astra Mk1 primarily will be replacing Russian R-77 BVRAAMs on the Su-30MKI and Mig-29UPG fleet and will be standard BVRRAM along with Derby-I on the Tejas Mk1A and Mk2 fleet.
NOTE : Article cannot be reproduced without written permission of idrw.org in any form even for YouTube Videos to avoid Copy right strikes