Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt, flagged off the Astra Missiles for the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Bharat Dynamics Limited in Hyderabad. The Astra Missiles are indigenously developed and manufactured by DRDO and BDL. The event was attended by senior officials from DRDO, IAF, and BDL.
The Astra Missiles are beyond visual range air-to-air missiles with a range of over 100 km. They are considered to be the best in their class globally. This achievement positions BDL as one of the few companies capable of manufacturing advanced air-to-air missiles.
Ajay Bhatt congratulated BDL for their efforts in realizing the production of these indigenously developed missiles, in line with the Indian government’s ‘Atmanirbhar’ policy. He also appreciated BDL’s contribution to enhancing defense exports.
BDL’s focus is always on ‘Make in India’ with maximum indigenous content. The company has received interest from friendly foreign countries for the Astra Missiles and has increased its manufacturing capability to meet both domestic and international demands.
Ajay Bhatt also visited various manufacturing facilities at the Kanchanbagh Unit of BDL to learn more about their manufacturing capabilities.
