STAR Missile:
STAR ends India’s dependence on expensive imported target systems for missile training.
- The Supersonic TARget (STAR) missile is an indigenous, high-speed missile designed to simulate realistic threats for training India’s armed forces.
- It was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- Unlike combat missiles, STAR doesn’t aim to destroy enemy targets—instead, it mimics the enemy, helping our forces practice interception in real-time.
- The STAR missile is engineered to simulate the behavior of modern supersonic anti-ship missiles and cruise missiles.
- To serve different combat needs, DRDO is developing STAR in two variants:
- Air-Launched STAR: Carried by fighters like the LCA Tejas, it simulates air-to-air and air-to-ground strikes, including Anti-Radiation and Anti-AWACS roles.
- Ground-Launched STAR: Truck-mounted and mobile, this version can be deployed from shorelines or remote zones without expensive infrastructure, making it highly versatile for Navy and Army drills.
- At the heart of STAR is a two-stage propulsion system:
- Solid booster rocket for quick lift-off
- Liquid Fuel Ramjet (LFRJ) for sustained supersonic flight
- Max Speed: Mach 1.8 – 2.5.
- It operates across a wide altitude range from 100 meters to 10 kilometers, with an operational range of 55 to 175 kilometers.
