India moves closer to making long range air-to-air missiles
DRDO successfully test-fires advanced ramjet tech missile
To develop indigenous long-range air-to-air missiles to be deployed on fighter aircraft, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Friday successfully carried out a flight demonstration based on Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology from Integrated Test Range Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
SFDR engine is likely to use in future Astra Mark 3 beyond visual range airto-air missile, to developed by India that would have a strike range of 350 kilometres. India is currently working on Astra Mark 2 missile, which will have a range of 160 kilometres.
The Indian Air Force and Indian navy have already given orders for Astra Mark-1 missiles, which have a range of 110 kilometres and will be used in MiG-29, Tejas, Su30 and MiG-29K aircraft.
DRDO said that all the subsystems, including the booster motor and nozzleless motor, performed as expected. “During the test, many new technologies were proven, including Solid Fuel based Ducted Ramjet technology,” said DRDO.
“Successful demonstration of solid fuel-based ducted ramjet technology has provided DRDO with a technological advantage which will enable it to develop long-range air-toair missiles,” said DRDO.
At present, such technology is available only in a handful of countries in the world. “During the test, the air-launch scenario was simulated using a booster motor. Subsequently, the nozzle-less booster accelerated it to the required Mach number for Ramjet operation,” said DRDO.
The performance of the missile was monitored using the data captured by electro-optical, radar and telemetry instruments deployed by ITR and confirmed successful demonstration of the mission objectives, it said. The launch was monitored by senior scientists of various DRDO labs, including Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL).
Defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the scientists of DRDO, Indian Air Force and the Industry on the successful flight test of SFDR.