India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully flown a long-endurance surveillance airship designed to operate in the stratosphere.
During the trial, the High-Altitude Platform (HAPS) carried an inertial measurement unit, a Global Positioning System receiver, onboard cameras, and an altitude control mechanism.
The platform reached 21 kilometers (13 miles) above mean sea level and remained airborne at 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) for more than 30 minutes before returning to the ground.
According to India’s Defence Ministry, the test demonstrated the platform’s ability to transmit real-time video and flight data to a ground control station throughout the flight.
Developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), the HAPS is a lighter-than-air platform intended to support long-duration aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering, and Earth observation.
Advancing India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat
The trial involved the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, and the Airports Authority of India.
India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the DRDO, IAF, public sector companies, and industry partners involved in the demonstration.
He described the trial as an important step toward fielding a long-endurance stratospheric airship under the country’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, which promotes domestic development and manufacturing.
The effort reflects India’s push to develop indigenous aerospace technologies for persistent surveillance and other missions requiring extended observation from high altitudes.
