ASTRA - Air-to-Air Future Missile Of India.

India test fired ASTRA twice at its Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Orissa on Monday,11, January, 2009. It is beyond visual range (BVR) missile with solid fuel as propellent. ASTRA is designed and produced by DRDO.

But the problem is, with 160 kg weight and 3.7-metre long Astra is very heavy compared to other foreign made BVR missiles and, its integration with Sukhois and other fighter planes poses problems. Moreover, tests on Monday were from underslung ground launchers, not from fighters flying at supersonic speeds.
Furthermore, it will need 20-40 tests for Astra-I, with a 45-km strike range, to be dubbed fully-operational. Then only 80-km range Astra-II will follow.

Consequently, India is forced to import from Russia, France and Israel huge quantities of expensive BVR missiles like AA-12 Adder, Matra Super 530D and Derby to arm its fighters like Sukhoi-30MKIs, Mirage-2000s and MiG-29s.

Meanwhile, IAF desperately needs indigenous BVR missiles since the days of close-range dogfights are fast receding. In modern-day air combat, fighters often use BVR missiles to destroy enemy aircraft at ranges over 40 km away, without coming anywhere close to each other.