India Successfully Tests Indigenous Astra BVRAAM with RF Seeker from Su-30 Mk-I
In a major milestone towards indigenous development in defence technology, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully carried out the flight test of the Astra Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) on July 11, 2025. The test was conducted off the Odisha coast, where the Astra missile, now fitted with an indigenously designed Radio Frequency (RF) Seeker, was fired from the Su-30 Mk-I fighter jet.
The trial involved two successful test launches for high-speed unmanned aerial targets under different range, target orientation, and launch conditions. In both cases, the Astra missile proved excellent in accuracy by destroying the targets with precision.
Indigenously designed and developed in India, the RF seeker was instrumental to the successful mission. DRDO designed and developed the vital component, which serves to authenticate its performance through the trials, with flight data and telemetry logged on range tracking equipment at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur.
The Astra BVRAAM is built for missions at over 100 kilometres and has advanced guidance and navigation systems. The weapon system is the product of collaborative work among DRDO laboratories and more than 50 public and private sector industries, such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh felicitated all the stakeholders in the development of the RF seeker and missile system, describing this success as a landmark moment in India's progress towards indigenous defence capabilities.
Seconding the view, Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, praised the teams involved in the successful test, underscoring the organisation's efforts to enhance India's strategic deterrence through state-of-the-art indigenous technologies.
The success of this flight test reaffirms the Astra missile system's credibility and the country's increasingly advancing capabilities in modern air-to-air combat technologies.
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