Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out maiden flight-trials of Stratospheric Airship Platform from Sheopur Trial site in Madhya Pradesh, yesterday.
The airship was launched carrying an instrumental payload to an altitude of around 17 kilometers. This has been developed by Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment, Agra in Uttar Pradesh.
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO for the successful maiden flight-trial of the system. He stated that this system will uniquely enhance India’s earth observation and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities.
The Minister added that this airship will also make the country one of the few countries in the world having such indigenous capabilities.
DRDO Chairman, Dr Samir V Kamat has also congratulated the DRDO team involved in design, development and trial of the system.
He said the prototype flight is a milestone towards realisation of lighter-than-air high-altitude platform systems that can remain airborne for very long endurance at stratospheric heights.