Astra missileIn a big boost for make-in-India weapons, Indonesia has become the first foreign customer of the country’s highly-advanced beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) ‘Astra’, developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).Besides an agreement for “cooperation on BrahMos System”, the pact on Astra air-to-air missile in presence of PM Narendra Modi and President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta is significant for India’s defence manufacturing industry as this missile, unlike Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos, has been indigenously developed and manufactured without any foreign help.The Astra deal was finalised through an agreement between state-run Bharat Dynamics Ltd and Indonesian defence holding company Republikorp. Astra, which like BrahMoS, equally playe