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IAF conducts successful air-to-air strike |
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For the second time in a week, an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter-bomber on April 15 scored a successful air-to-air strike against an indigenously developed towed target, officials said.
Hitherto, only ground-to-air missiles have been fired at targets towed by the Lakshya pilotless target aircraft (PTA). The first air-to-air test was conducted on April 11.
On April 15, a dummy bomb fired by an IAF Mirage 2000 successfully impacted with a Lakshya-towed target at 11.35 a.m. over the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea.
The Lakshya had been sent aloft at 11.20 a.m., the sources said.
IAF personnel from the Kalaikunda air base conducted the test with support systems provided by scientists of the test range.
The Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bangalore developed Lakshya, a sub-sonic, reusable system remote-controlled from the ground, in 1976 for air-to-air and ground-to-air firing practice.
Inducted in the IAF in 2000, Friday’s Lakshya trial was undertaken with an improved engine and other sub-systems developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), sources said.
The test was aimed at sharpening the strike capability of IAF fighter pilots.
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