Tejas can now be armed with 5th gen Python-5 air-to-air missile

Tuesday's test firing in Goa completed a series of missile trials to validate its performance under extremely challenging scenarios. 

India's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas has added the 5th generation Python-5 Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) to its weapons capability. 

Tuesday's test-firing in Goa completed a series of missile trials to validate its performance under extremely challenging scenarios. 

"The trials were also aimed to validate the enhanced capability of already integrated Derby Beyond Visual Range (BVR) AAM on Tejas," the DRDO spokesperson said. 

The Derby missile achieved a direct hit on a high-speed manoeuvring aerial target and the Python missile also achieved a 100 per cent hit, thereby validating their complete capability, he said. 

The trials met all their planned objectives.

Prior to these trials, extensive missile carriage flight tests were conducted in Bengaluru to assess the integration of the missile with aircraft systems onboard the Tejas, like avionics, fire-control radar, missile weapon delivery system and the flight control system. 

After successful separation trials, the live launch of the missile on a Banshee target was carried out. 

As per the DRDO, the missile hit the aerial target in all the live firings.