DRDO carries out successful trials of Stratospheric Airship Platform for high-altitude surveillance 

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out maiden flight trials of Stratospheric Airship Platform on Saturday evening.

Developed by Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment, Agra, the airship was launched carrying an instrumental payload at an altitude of around 56,000 feet.

Data from onboard sensors was received and would be utilised for development of high-quality fidelity simulation models for future high-altitude airship flights. 

Envelop pressure control and emergency deflation systems were deployed in flight for their performance evaluation. The trial team recovered the system for further investigation. 

The total duration of the flight, carried out from Sheopur Trial Site in Madhya Pradesh, was about 62 minutes.

The trial was carried out even as the IAF is seeking three unmanned high altitude platform systems, capable of operating at altitude of around 65,000 feet, for carrying out long duration intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated the DRDO for the successful maiden flight trial of the system. He said that this system would uniquely enhance India’s earth observation and Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, making the country one of the few countries in the world with such indigenous capabilities.

The Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development, and Chairman, DRDO, Dr Samir V Kamat, has also felicitated the DRDO team involved in the design, development and trial of the system. 

He said the prototype flight was a milestone towards the realisation of lighter-than-air high-altitude platform systems that could remain airborne for very long endurance at stratospheric heights.

India