New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted the flight-test of indigenous Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air missile (BVRAAM) 'Astra' equipped with indigenous Radio Frequency (RF) Seeker from Su-30 Mk-I platform off the coast of Odisha on Friday.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, during the tests, two launches were carried out against high-speed unmanned aerial targets at different ranges, target aspects and launch platform conditions. In both cases, the missiles destroyed the targets with pinpoint accuracy.

During the tests, all subsystems performed as per expectations including the RF seeker which has been indigenously designed & developed by DRDO. The flawless performance of the Astra weapon system was validated through flight data captured by Range Tracking instruments deployed by Integrated Test Range, Chandipur. These successful flight tests have re-established the accuracy and reliable performance of Astra weapon system with indigenous seeker, the release emphasised.

Astra BVRAAM has a range exceeding 100 kms and is equipped with an art guidance and navigation system. In addition to various laboratories of DRDO, more than 50 public and private industries, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, have contributed towards the successful realisation of the weapon system.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented DRDO, IAF and industry involved in the design and development of the RF seeker and stated that the successful testing of the missile with an indigenous seeker is a major milestone in critical defence technology.

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO, Samir V Kamat, congratulated all the teams involved during the successful flight test.

Earlier this week, the Defence Research and Development Organisation developed a new, powerful howitzer, the Indigenous 155mm/52 Calibre Mounted Gun System, which can quickly shoot and move.

The DRDO lab, Vehicle Research and Development Establishment, developed the MGS. The goal was to develop a fully indigenous system that could operate effectively in challenging terrain and engage enemy targets quickly and accurately.

Speaking to ANI, Director VRDE G Ramamohana Rao said, 'This is a 155mm/52 calibre gun. Such guns already exist, but they are towed separately and take time to deploy. Our MGS is different. It is quick, just 80 seconds to deploy and 85 seconds to move. It is fully made in India and can also be exported to other countries'

High mobility Artillery was a technology gap that needed to be addressed, for which the Mounted Gun System (MGS) was a viable solution. Accordingly, VRDE has taken up a Technology Demonstrator Project, 'Design and Development of 155mm/52 calibre Mounted Gun System (MGS) based on ATAGS'. (ANI)