New Delhi: India marked a major stride towards defence self-reliance as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully carried out a flight test of the indigenously developed ASTRA, Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) off the Odisha coast on Friday.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the test was conducted using a Sukhoi-30 Mk-I fighter jet and involved two separate launches aimed at high-speed unmanned aerial targets. The missiles were fired under different conditions involving range, target angle, and platform dynamics.

In both tests, the Astra missiles accurately intercepted and neutralised the intended targets, validating the missile’s capability and operational reliability.

Officials stated that the radio frequency seeker used in the missile was designed and developed entirely in India by DRDO. It displayed excellent performance, along with all other missile subsystems, during the test.

The tests were closely monitored through flight data captured by tracking instruments of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, reaffirming the missile's reliability and precision.

The Astra missile, with a range of more than 100 km, is equipped with advanced guidance and navigation systems.

The development of the missile has been a collaborative effort involving multiple DRDO laboratories and more than 50 Indian industries, both public and private, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO, IAF, and the industry partners for the successful development and testing of the indigenous radio frequency seeker.

He hailed the achievement as a major milestone in critical defence technology, reinforcing the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Samir V. Kamat, Department of Defence Research and Development Secretary and DRDO Chairman, also extended his congratulations to all teams involved, commending their dedication and efforts in achieving this significant breakthrough in air-to-air missile capability.

IANS