The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas on August 23 successfully fired the Astra indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile off the coast of Goa, the defence ministry said in a statement.
The missile release was successfully carried out from the aircraft at an altitude of about 20,000 feet. According to the officials, all objectives of the test were met and it was a perfect text book launch.
The Test Director and scientists of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) and Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DG-AQA) personnel monitored the test launch, according to the ministry. In addition, a Chase Tejas twin seater aircraft monitored the aircraft.
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ASTRA is a state-of-the-art BVR air-to-air missile with the capacity to engage and destroy highly-maneuvering supersonic aerial targets. It has been designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI), and other laboratories of the DRDO.
The defence ministry highlighted that the indigenous Astra BVR firing from home-grown Tejas fighter is a major step towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh applauded the ADA, DRDO, CEMILAC, DG-AQA, along with the industry, for the successful feat. He also noted that the latest development would substantially boost Tejas' combat prowess, in turn, bringing down its reliance on imported weapons.
Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft, with the capability to operate in high-threat air environments. The indigenously-developed fighter jet has been developed to undertake air defence, maritime reconnaissance and strike operations.
Also Read: HAL signing contract worth Rs 5,375 crore with GE Aviation, for supply of engines for Tejas aircraft
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