Astra (missile)

Astra (Sanskrit: "weapon thrown as projectile") is an Indian all weather beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. It is the first air-to-air missile developed by India. Astra is designed to be capable of engaging targets at varying range and altitudes allowing for engagement of both short-range targets at a distance of and long-range targets up to a distance of . Astra has been integrated with Indian Air Force's Sukhoi Su-30MKI and will be integrated with Dassault Mirage 2000, HAL Tejas and Mikoyan MiG-29 in the future. Limited series production of Astra missiles began in 2017.
Description.
Astra's older design resembled Matra Super 530D and Vympel R-77 in a few aspects. Astra is long with a diameter of and weighs . It uses mid-course inertial guidance driven by fibre optic gyroscope with terminal guidance through active radar homing. It is capable of receiving course corrections through a secure data link. The missile's active radar seeker with a homing range of is supplied by Agat and will be manufactured locally. The seeker can lock-on to a target with a radar cross section of 5 square metres from a distance of 15 km and enables off-boresight launches up to an angle of 45°. Some tests have been conducted in 2017 and 2018 using an indigenous seeker developed by Research Centre Imarat.
Astra is equipped with electronic counter-countermeasures to allow operation even during enemy attempts to jam the seeker using electronic countermeasures. It carries a high explosive pre-fragmented warhead activated by a proximity fuse. Astra uses a smokeless solid fuelled motor that can propel the missile to a speed of Mach 4.5 and allows operation from a maximum altitude of . The maximum range of Astra is in head-on chase mode and in tail chase mode. The maximum range is achieved when the missile launched from an altitude of . When it is fired from an altitude of , the range drops to and when it is launched from sea level, the range drops further to . Astra's low aspect ratio wings allow it to engage manoeuvring targets up to a range of in head-on chase mode and in tail chase mode. It can be launched in both autonomous and buddy mode operation and can lock on to its target before or after it is launched.
Development.
Preliminary work on Astra had begun by 1990 with the completion of a pre-feasibility study. Astra was revealed to the public for the first time at Aero India 1998. It was described as an elongated Matra Super 530D with a smaller diametre in front of the wings. The project to develop Astra missile was officially sanctioned in 2004 with a budget of . The project was to be led by Defence Research and Development Laboratory with assistance from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Electronics Corporation of India Limited. The initial version of Astra reportedly weighed with a range of and was planned to be integrated with HAL Tejas. It was tested for the first time in May 2003.
The missile was redesigned around 2006 due to control issues and performance deficiencies at high altitude. The initial design of four cruciform short-span long-chord wings were replaced by cropped delta wings placed near the nose. The redesigned missile had an improved propulsion system and was tested for the first time in 2008. By 2013, the missile had been redesigned again in response to multiple failures caused by adverse interactions between flight control surfaces. The control, guidance, and propulsion systems were also reconfigured. After the second redesign, the missile was lighter than the initial version by around . It was tested from the ground thrice in December 2012 and captive trials from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI were held in April 2013. 
Astra completed final development trials in September 2017 and was cleared for production at Bharat Dynamics Limited's manufacturing facility in Bhanur, Telangana for an initial order of 50 missiles. An additional order of 248 missiles were placed for Indian Air Force and Indian Navy for use on various platforms like Sukhoi Su-30MKI, HAL Tejas, MiG-29 / MiG-29K. Taking the total order number to 298 missiles.
Variants.
Air-to-air missile versions.
After the deployment of Astra Mk. 1, several offshoot version are being planned including within visual range imaging Infra-red homing missile tentatively classified as Astra IR, whereas trials for a longer range version Astra Mk. 2 and a further development called Astra Mk. 3 is being planned. 
Astra Mk. 2 will use dual-pulse solid rocket motor for extended reach and better kinematics during the kill phase. The missile will share smokeless propulsion of its predecessor Mk. 1, whilst imbibing newer technologies being implemented in other missile program of DRDO like Barak 8 and Rudram-1. The plan is to extend the range of Mk. 2 version to rivaling American AMRAAM AIM 120-D. Astra Mk. 2 variant will make use of indigenous seeker manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited.
The testing for the Mk. 2 variant is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2022 with focus on improving the range by the use of dual-pulse motor and increasing the indigenous content to 100% inline with Atmanirbhar Bharat mission.
A future variant Mk. 3 based on Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) engine is being jointly developed by India and Russia. The missile was first tested on 30 May 2018 and further test was carried out on 8 February 2019. The aim of the program to develop an indigenous missile rivaling China's PL-15, AIM-260 JATM and MBDA Meteor missile with a range of .
Surface-to-air missile versions.
To fulfill the need of Indian Navy's replacement of Barak-1 short range surface-to-air missile system, DRDO successfully test fired two VL-SRSAM on 22 February 2021 at Odisha coast. The maiden launch tested the efficacy of vertical launch system and missile's maximum and minimum range. Both the missile successfully intercepted their target with pin point accuracy.
VL-SRSAM supersedes the cancelled Maitri missile project undertaken jointly by MBDA and DRDO based on the work done on MICA and Trishul. The missile will arm Indian Navy ships like Kamorta-class corvette with short range air defense system. The missile use jet vane based thrust vectoring control to give high maneuverability to the missile. The missile maybe guided by Revathi radar which is extensively being used in Indian Navy ship like Kamorta-class corvette. 
Indian Air Force may also sport VL-SRSAM in truck-based launcher to supplement its Akash surface-to-air missile as a quick reaction system similar to Norwegian/American NASAM 2.
Trials.
Astra went through a series of ground tests from 2003 till 2012 in three different configurations to validate the airframe, propulsion system, control system, dual mode guidance and night firing capability. Carriage trials were carried out in 2009 and 2013 on Sukhoi Su-30MKI. In May 2014, it was fired for the first time in air. On 18 March 2016, the missile was fired in public during Iron Fist 2016 exercise from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI. During a series of seven tests in September 2017, Astra was tested twice with an indigenous seeker. During user trials in 2019, Astra hit a target at a distance of .
The flight trials on the indigenous built HAL Tejas are expected to begin in the first half of 2021.