Weight and flutter restrictions? Also, BVR missiles are drop-and-fire kinds, not off-the-rail kinds. Harder to design a mechanism that drops it off the wingtip.
None of you have any idea about the wingtips of the mki. It is totally different from that of an f-16/18. it is like a standard weapon pylon attached to the tip of the wing. the astra is not of the drop and fire kind . haven’t you seen the pics of the ground tests
As far as i recall the Vympel R-27 and R-77 dont use zero inertia launch(drop-and-fire) unlike the AIM-120. And anyway the AIM-120’s are regularly mounted on wingtip hardpoints.
“Why can’t they put the damn missile on the wingtips?” that’s a good point,shiv…and u can also add that the AF guys can stuff atleast half a dozen of those mijjiles inside the intakes….hmm,now that’s something really audacious.
Still has to prove it can hit a target yet; not once or twice, maybe ten tests are needed against supersonic/munevouring targets. Then have to make sure it is capatible with existing radars and make sure thse radars can fire two or more of the missiles at once.
The carriage trials only beagan in January. Wing tips config is not ready yaet. Tests are ongoing at the HAL’s Nasik facility. 20 odd sorties are scheduled. Then, in July, DRDO and IAF will try to integrate missile’s avionics with that of the aircraft. (dixit India Defence) http://www.india-defence.com/reports-4107 Have a nice day guys! Thanks for this good blog, Shiv!
good observation!! but why how and what should be left to IAF (ASTE). but that does not mean this is an unwelcome suggestion. some of the best ideas have come from lay men in the past
This AAM should be tested & should release it as soon as possible, it should be ontime , and need to develop further improvement better than this with more longer range.
Why can’t they put the damn missile on the wingtips?
Duh, It’s too heavy for the wingtips… Only an tiny AA missile fits on the wingtips.
how stupid. the Astra should easily be able to fit on the wingtips of an mki.
Leave it to the experts, the DRDO and the IAF. Be thankful it is finally accepted by the IAF.
Why specifically the wing tips?
Weight and flutter restrictions? Also, BVR missiles are drop-and-fire kinds, not off-the-rail kinds. Harder to design a mechanism that drops it off the wingtip.
None of you have any idea about the wingtips of the mki. It is totally different from that of an f-16/18. it is like a standard weapon pylon attached to the tip of the wing. the astra is not of the drop and fire kind . haven’t you seen the pics of the ground tests
@Aditya,
As far as i recall the Vympel R-27 and R-77 dont use zero inertia launch(drop-and-fire) unlike the AIM-120. And anyway the AIM-120’s are regularly mounted on wingtip hardpoints.
http://sistemadearmas.sites.uol.com.br/aam/amraam1intro.html
Either way this is an inconsequential discussion. 🙂
aditya @8:47am
” BVR missiles are drop-and-fire kinds, not off-the-rail kinds “
———————–
NOT NECESSARY!
“Why can’t they put the damn missile on the wingtips?”
that’s a good point,shiv…and u can also add that the AF guys can stuff atleast half a dozen of those mijjiles inside the intakes….hmm,now that’s something really audacious.
Still has to prove it can hit a target yet; not once or twice, maybe ten tests are needed against supersonic/munevouring targets. Then have to make sure it is capatible with existing radars and make sure thse radars can fire two or more of the missiles at once.
The F-16s do carry the AIM-120 on their wingtips.
The F-16s do carry the AIM-120 on their wing tips at times thought mostly they carry AIM-9s on that hardpoint to control the wing tip vortex.
When CHINA inducted PL-8 SRAAM & PL-11/12 MRAAM in their airforce a year ago our ASTRA still in prelimenary trial.
Now if that’s not an armchair general-type observation, I don’t now what is!
The carriage trials only beagan in January. Wing tips config is not ready yaet. Tests are ongoing at the HAL’s Nasik facility. 20 odd sorties are scheduled. Then, in July, DRDO and IAF will try to integrate missile’s avionics with that of the aircraft. (dixit India Defence)
http://www.india-defence.com/reports-4107
Have a nice day guys! Thanks for this good blog, Shiv!
good observation!! but why how and what should be left to IAF (ASTE). but that does not mean this is an unwelcome suggestion. some of the best ideas have come from lay men in the past
is that Su-30MKI or Su-35BM, Canards missing??
This AAM should be tested & should release it as soon as possible, it should be ontime , and need to develop further improvement better than this with more longer range.
Will the Astra be better than the R-77 (AA-12 Adder) or the Slammer (AIM-120 AMRAAM)? If so, will it have an HOJ seeker?
I prefer it would.