DRDO confirms the conclusion of carriage and separation trials of Astra Mk 3 BVRAAM

Source : IgMp Bureau

CGI of SFDR based Astra Mk3 BVRAAM (Credit : Kuntal Biswas)

The DRDO has confirmed that it has completed the carriage and separation trials of the 340 kilometers range Astra Mk 3 air-to-air missile for which two Astra Mk 3 missiles FT1 and FT2 were used for separation trials from a Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet earlier this year.

The DRDO is now preparing to assemble a fully integrated missile that will be powered by a Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) propulsion that has been jointly developed with Russia that will be used to start developmental trials by mid of 2023.

The Astra Mk 3 will weigh 218 kilograms and will have the same length and dimension as the French Meteor missile.

The Astra Mk 3 will have a top speed of Mach 3.6 and an interception range of 190 kilometers at 8 kilometers altitude and 340 kilometers interception range at 20 kilometers altitude along with a No Escape Zone of over 100 kilometers.