New Delhi. The Indian Air Force has given clearance to public sector firm Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for the production of 200 Astra Mark 1 air-to-air missiles. Bharat Dynamics Limited is the production agency of the Astra Mark1 missiles which have been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
According to Indian Air Force officials, the production clearance to the BDL was given during a visit by the Indian Air Force Deputy Chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit to Hyderabad recently. “The IAF Deputy Chief had visited the DRDO’s Defence Research and Development Laboratory which is the development agency for the Astra missiles,” they said.
Defence sources said that the approval for the over Rs 2,900 crore project was granted in 2022-23 by the Defence Acquisition Council and the production clearance has been given for that order now after completion of all tests and developments. The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) is the nodal lab for this project.
The Astra missiles will be integrated on both the Russian-origin Su-30 as well as the indigenous LCA Tejas fighter aircraft after production. A lot of indigenous projects for missiles are being helped by the Indian Air Force and three to four such programmes are nearing completion including air-to-ground missiles.
The DRDO and IAF are now looking at testing the Astra Mark 2 missiles at around 130 kms. The plans are also afoot to test and develop a long-range Astra with a strike capability of 300 kms.
