The Indian Airforce (IAF) is set to receive its first batch of the Astra Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVR-AAM) by the end of 2019. The Ministry of Defence, along with the IAF, has placed the procurement order for a 100 BVR-AAR missiles.
The Astra missile has been designed and manufactured by the Indian Defence Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) company Bharat Electric Limited (BEL). Currently, a combined strength of more than 50 public and private sector companies are jointly developing a series of subsystems for the missile.
The IAF’s Sukhoi 30 Fighter jet will be the first fighter aircraft to be fitted with indigenously built Astra Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile.
