India conducts maiden flight-trials of stratospheric airship platform

India on Saturday successfully carried out maiden flight-trials of a stratospheric airship platform which is being developed to boost the military's surveillance capabilities.

Very few countries in the world have developed such a complex platform, officials said.

The flight trial was carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh.

DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat 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.

The airship platform was launched with an instrumental payload to an altitude of around 17 kms, according to the defence ministry.

The successful flight trials of the platform came amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO for the successful maiden flight-trial of the system.

This system will uniquely enhance India's earth observation and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, making the country one of the few countries in the world having such indigenous capabilities, he said.

"The DRDO successfully carried out maiden flight-trials of stratospheric airship platform from Sheopur trial site in Madhya Pradesh on May 3," the defence ministry said.

Developed by Agra-based Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment, the airship was launched carrying an instrumental payload to an altitude of around 17 kms, it said.

"Data from onboard sensors was received and would be utilised for development of high-quality fidelity simulation models for future high-altitude airship flights," the ministry said in a statement.

"Envelop pressure control and emergency deflation systems were deployed in flight for their performance evaluation. Trial team recovered the system for further investigation. The total duration of the flight was about 62 minutes," it said.