Astra
The Astra missile programme is headed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). The goal of this programme is to provide the Indian Air Force (IAF) with an indigenously-designed beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile to equip the IAF’s Mirage 2000, MiG-29, Su-30MKI and the future Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). A model of the Astra was first shown to the public at Aero India in December 1998. On 25 July 2001 in Indian Parliament, then-incumbent Defence Minister Jaswant Singh said that a feasibility study for the Astra has commenced, after the completion of which a project for development of the Astra is planned to be undertaken. Development of this missile is likely to take about seven to eight years. Unconfirmed reports state that the first ground-launched ballistic tests of the Astra airframe are planned for 2003. The Mirage 2000H has been designated as the first potential platform for the Astra when the weapon enters service at the end of this decade.