India Defence News – The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) marked a significant achievement by successfully conducting the maiden flight-trials of its Stratospheric Airship Platform on May 3, 2025, at the Sheopur Trial site in Madhya Pradesh. Developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment in Agra, the airship ascended to an altitude of approximately 17 kilometers, carrying an instrumental payload for testing.
- During the 62-minute flight, onboard sensors transmitted data that will be used to create high-fidelity simulation models for future high-altitude airship missions.
- The trial also tested envelope pressure control and emergency deflation systems, evaluating their performance in real-time.
- The system was safely recovered by the trial team for further analysis and improvements.
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh lauded DRDO’s efforts, noting, “This breakthrough will significantly bolster India’s earth observation and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance capabilities, positioning India among a select group of nations with such advanced indigenous technology.” He extended his congratulations to the DRDO team for their success.
Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, also praised the team, calling the prototype flight a “key step toward developing lighter-than-air, high-altitude platforms capable of extended endurance at stratospheric altitudes.” This development underscores DRDO’s commitment to advancing India’s defense technology landscape.
