India on Wednesday announced successful test firing of air to air missile ASTRA from Light Combat Aircraft Tejas.
The Indian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the successful test-firing of indigenous ASTRA Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile took place today off Goa coast.
“The missile release was successfully carried out from the aircraft at an altitude of about 20,000 feet. All the objectives of the test were met and it was a perfect text book launch,” the ministry said. ASTRA missile is developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory and Research Centre Imarat as a missile to engage and destroy highly maneuvering supersonic aerial targets. The indigenously built Tejas fighter is a major step towards self reliant India in defense sector. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh appreciated the scientists behind the successful launch of ASTRA which he said would significantly enhance the combat prowess of Tejas and reduce dependency on imported weapons.
Source: Kuwait News Agency