Tejas, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) LSP-7 successfully fired the ASTRA indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile off the coast of Goa on August 23, 2023. At a height of around 20,000 feet, the missile launch from the aircraft was accomplished successfully. It was a flawless text book launch and all test objectives were satisfied.
The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and officials from the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) and Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DG-AQA) all participated in the test launch observation. A Chase Tejas twin-seater aircraft was also keeping watch over the aircraft.
ASTRA, a state-of-the-art BVR air-to-air missile to engage and destroy highly maneuvering supersonic aerial targets, is designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and other laboratories of DRDO. The indigenous Astra BVR firing from home grown Tejas fighters is a major step towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh has complimented ADA, DRDO, CEMILAC, DG-AQA and the industry for the successful firing of the missile from Tejas-LCA. He claimed that the launch will lessen reliance on imported armaments and considerably improve Tejas' ability to engage in warfare.