India To Test Its First Air-to-Air Battle Missile Soon

by PEP | July 6, 2008 at 04:34 am

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India's Astra missile, if it flies, may propel the nation into the very small circle of advanced-missile weaponry. What will this mean for the precarious balance of power in that region especially?

In a major technology leap, Indian defence scientists are ready to go ahead with the first full test flight of its indigenously developed air to air beyond visual range missile, ASTRA.

The test flight from an IAF Sukhoi fighter aircraft could be undertaken "anytime in the next 45 days", top DRDO officials said.

A successful test flight of ASTRA will plunge India into a select group of nations to have such a technology. Only US, France, Russia and China have so far produced such advance missiles, which enables fighter pilots to lock-on and shoot down enemy aircraft almost 90-120 km away.