India test fires short range Astra missile

BALASORE - India successfully test fired its short range Astra air-to-air missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) off the Orissa coast Monday.

The beyond visual range missile was tested at the Chandipur test range, about 230 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar, at about 9.45 am.

“It was a very good flight, ITR Director S.P. Dash told IANS.

Another Astra missile was scheduled to be tested from the same test range later in the day, he added.

Astra is a high-end tactical missile and is envisaged to intercept enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in head-on mode at a range of 80 km and in tail-chase mode at 20 km.