The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Friday conducted the maiden flight-trial of its Stratospheric Airship Platform at the Sheopur trial site in Madhya Pradesh.
The airship, developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra, ascended to an altitude of approximately 17 km, carrying an instrumental payload. The flight, which lasted for about 62 minutes, marks a significant step in the development of high-altitude, lighter-than-air platforms.
According to officials, data collected from onboard sensors will be used to build high-fidelity simulation models for future airship missions. The flight also tested the performance of envelope pressure control and emergency deflation systems, both of which were successfully deployed. The system was later recovered by the trial team for further analysis.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO for the successful test, stating that the platform will boost India’s earth observation and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. “This achievement places India among the few nations with indigenous capability in high-altitude airship systems,” he said.
DRDO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Defence R\&D, Dr. Samir V. Kamat described the trial as a milestone. “This prototype flight paves the way for the development of long-endurance, stratospheric platforms that can remain airborne for extended durations,” he said.
