The Defence Research and Development Organisation of India has decided to integrate technologies from the Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missile into the domestic Astra Mark 2.
This decision became possible after a technical analysis of the missile. It was found almost intact, reports The Defense Blog.
The missile was launched from a Pakistani fighter during May clashes. It did not hit its target and fell in Punjab.
According to the Hindustan Times, the missile did not have a self-destruct mechanism. This allowed Indian specialists to study its design in detail. It was the export variant PL-15E with a range of up to 145 kilometres.
The analysis revealed a number of advanced features. They include a compact AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar, a powerful solid-fuel motor that achieves speeds above Mach 5, and modern systems for countering electronic jamming.
The Astra Mark 1 is currently in service with the Indian Air Force. It is deployed on Su-30MKI aircraft, and integration work is underway for light fighter jets like the Tejas. The Astra Mark 1 has a range of up to 110 km and a speed of up to Mach 4.5.
It is stated that in the future, the Astra Mark 2 will be able to engage targets at distances of up to 160 km. There are plans to extend its range to over 200 km. At the same time, the Indian Air Force also operates European Meteor missiles for Rafale aircraft, which were purchased from France in 2019.
