LCA Tejas test-fires indigenous ASTRA Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile in Goa

The Indian Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) LSP-7 has successfully fired the ASTRA indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air Missile. 

The Maiden flight was Piloted by Gp. Capt D Mandal and the Missile release was successfully carried out from the aircraft at an altitude of about 20000 ft off the Coast of Goa.

"Achieving major milestone towards #atmanirbharbharat ASTRA-Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missile in its maiden flight trial was successfully fired from LCA Tejas off the coast of Goa, DRDO wrote in a Twitter post.

#DRDOUpdates | Achieving major milestone towards #atmanirbharbharat ASTRA-Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missile in its maiden flight trial was successfully fired from LCA Tejas off the coast of Goa.@DefenceMinIndia@SpokespersonMoD https://t.co/UF4p5GVfeI pic.twitter.com/dqoIWY0LTf

— DRDO (@DRDO_India) August 23, 2023

The test launch was monitored by Gp Capt B Balaji , Test Director and Scientists of ADA, HAL, DRDO along with officials from CEMILAC and DG AQA. The aircraft was also monitored by a Chase Tejas twin seater aircraft piloted by Wg Cdr Siddarth Singh KMJ (Retd), Flight Test Pilot and Wg Cdr KP Kiran Kumar, Flight Test Engineer. 

During hot debrief, Pilot commented that all the objectives of the tests were met and it was the perfect text book launch.

ASTRA is the state–of-the-art Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air-to-Air Missile designed and developed by DRDL along with RCI (DRDO) to engage and destroy highly manoeuvring supersonic aerial targets.