Chandipur:(Newsonair)-India today successfully test-fired indigenously developed Astra air-to-air interceptor missile from Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off Odisha coast. The beyond-visual-range missile was tested at 1.25 on Friday afternoon from launch complext number 3 of ITR.This was a development trial of the missile and the target was an unmanned aerial vehicle which was flown from the same base few minutes before the launch of the missile.
Astra is envisaged to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in the head-on mode at a range of 80 km and in tail-chase mode at 20 km.The test of 3.8 meter long and 1.78 mm diameter Astra comes a day after the Indian armed forces successfully test-fired medium range indigenously developed Prithvi-II nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile from the same test range. Both the Astra and Prithvi missiles have been flight-tested a number of times from the same test range in the past.
