New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Saturday conducted the maiden flight trial of its Stratospheric Airship Platform from the Sheopur test facility in Madhya Pradesh.
Developed by the Agra-based Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), the unmanned airship ascended to an altitude of approximately 17 kilometres, carrying an instrumented payload.
“The flight lasted around 62 minutes, during which data was collected by onboard sensors,” the defence ministry said in a statement. It added that the airship was safely recovered after testing critical systems, including envelope pressure control and emergency deflation mechanisms.
A stratospheric airship functions as a high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS), designed to operate between 17 and 22 kilometres above the Earth for extended periods. It uses helium for lift and is typically powered by solar energy, with onboard batteries enabling night-time operation.
Unlike satellites or aircraft, such platforms can loiter over a fixed area for days or even weeks, offering persistent surveillance and communications support. Their capacity to carry imaging sensors, radar systems or telecommunications payloads makes them valuable for border monitoring, disaster response and wide-area intelligence missions.
They also fill a critical gap between drones and satellites, delivering the reach of space-based systems while offering faster deployment, lower costs and greater operational flexibility.
DRDO Chairman Samir V. Kamat hailed the flight as a significant achievement, describing it as a step towards developing long-endurance, lighter-than-air systems capable of operating in the stratosphere.
“This system will enhance India’s earth observation and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, positioning the country among the few globally with such indigenous capabilities,” said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Sources indicated that only a small number of countries have succeeded in developing similar high-altitude platforms, given the considerable technological and operational challenges involved.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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