Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Saturday for the successful flight-test of the indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) ‘Astra’, equipped with a homegrown Radio Frequency (RF) seeker.
In a post on X, Patnaik wrote: “Congratulate DRDO on the successful flight-test of indigenous Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air missile (BVRAAM) ‘Astra’ equipped with indigenous Radio Frequency (RF) Seeker from Su-30 MKI platform, off the coast of Odisha.”
The test was conducted in coordination with the Indian Air Force (IAF) off the coast of Odisha. According to the Ministry of Defence, two Astra missile launches were executed against high-speed unmanned aerial targets at varying ranges and conditions. Both tests were successful, with the missiles accurately destroying their intended targets.
The indigenous RF seeker, a key technology in guiding the missile, performed flawlessly. Its performance was confirmed through flight data and tracking systems deployed by the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur.
The Astra missile boasts a range of over 100 km and features advanced guidance and navigation systems. Over 50 public and private sector industries, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), contributed to the development of the Astra system.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised DRDO, the IAF, and the associated industries, calling the success “a major milestone in critical defence technology.”
DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat also congratulated all the teams involved in the development and testing.
This marks a significant boost to India’s self-reliance in defence, particularly in the strategic air-to-air combat domain.
