Air-to-air missile Astra was test-fired from the Integrated Test Range, Balasore in Orissa, at 8.15 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Beyond Visual Range missile was tested for its high manoeuvring performance and ability for high lateral acceleration. After the final tests, the missile is planned to be integrated with fighter aircraft Su-30 and subsequently with MiG-29 and the LCA.
Project director Gollakota told The Hindu that the telemetry and other data of the test were being analysed and the details would be available on Wednesday.
The active radar homing missile is envisaged to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in head-on mode at a range of 80 km and in tail-chase mode at 20 km. The smallest of the missiles developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, Astra is a single stage, solid-fuelled missile and can carry a conventional warhead of 15 kg.
It is 3.8 metres long and has a diameter of 178 mm with an overall launch weight of 160 kg.
The missile could be launched from different altitudes — at 15 km to cover a range of 90-110 km, at 8 km to cover a range of 44 km and at sea-level for a range of 21 km.
