Sheopur, MP : In a significant technological breakthrough, India has successfully conducted the maiden flight trial of its indigenously developed Stratospheric Airship Platform. The test, carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at its trial site in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh, marks a major advancement in the country’s high-altitude surveillance capabilities.
The airship, designed to operate in the stratosphere, ascended to an altitude of approximately 17 kilometers carrying an instrumental payload. The platform was developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), a DRDO lab based in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
DRDO successfully conducts maiden flight trial of Stratospheric Airship with instrumental payload to an altitude of around 17 kms. This lighter than air system will enhance India’s earth observation and Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance capabilities, making the country… pic.twitter.com/HXeSl59DyH
— DRDO (@DRDO_India) May 3, 2025
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO team on the successful trial, highlighting the platform’s potential to significantly enhance India’s capabilities in earth observation, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance. He emphasized that the achievement places India among a select group of nations with such advanced indigenous airship technology.
DRDO Chairman Dr. Samir V. Kamat also lauded the team behind the project, calling the successful prototype flight a “milestone” in the development of lighter-than-air, long-endurance high-altitude systems. He noted that the platform’s ability to remain airborne for extended periods at stratospheric heights opens new possibilities for strategic and civilian applications.
The successful trial underscores India’s growing technological self-reliance in aerospace and defence innovation.
