The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is set to begin the second phase of trials for its Stratospheric Airship Platform at Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh.
This advanced phase follows the success of the maiden flight conducted in May 2025, marking a significant step in India’s indigenous development of high-altitude surveillance and atmospheric research systems.
The upcoming trials are scheduled for October 18, 19, 25, and 26, 2025, at the recently developed Jakhada Jagir testing site near Sheopur. During these tests, DRDO will launch multiple high-altitude airship balloons to assess key operational parameters, including long-duration stability, payload endurance, and sensor performance in stratospheric conditions.
In the earlier phase, DRDO successfully launched a helium-filled airship that ascended to approximately 17 kilometres in altitude and remained airborne for about 62 minutes. The mission validated essential flight-control algorithms, material integrity, and altitude stability, positioning India alongside the United States, Russia, and China among the few nations to have achieved functional stratospheric airship operations.
The latest phase aims to refine the airship’s onboard sensors, data-collection systems, and real-time telemetry at high altitudes. The payloads will gather information about atmospheric conditions, radiation patterns, and environmental dynamics. These results are vital for multiple
applications — from defence intelligence and early-warning systems to environmental and disaster monitoring.
DRDO’s stratospheric airship is an unmanned, helium-filled platform equipped with a suite of electro-optical sensors, communications relays, and data-processing modules. It is engineered to operate in the 15–20 km altitude band — above conventional air traffic and weather disturbances — offering consistent monitoring over large areas without the high cost and logistical demands of satellite operations.
Compared with orbital satellites, the indigenous airship is around ten times more cost-effective and can stay aloft for weeks. Its sustained operational endurance allows for continuous surveillance and reconnaissance, making it an ideal asset for border security, forest fire detection, and post-disaster assessment. Additionally, its quieter and lower radar signature supports covert intelligence-gathering missions.
The Sheopur District Administration has issued safety and awareness advisories to ensure uninterrupted testing operations. District Collector Ankit Verma confirmed that all trial activities will take place under DRDO’s technical supervision, urging residents not to be alarmed by sightings of large airships in the sky during test windows.
This project reflects India’s growing emphasis on persistent aerial surveillance and indigenous aerospace innovation. With the successful completion of multi-phase testing, DRDO aims to eventually operationalize the Stratospheric Airship Platform for continuous communications, strategic reconnaissance, and scientific missions, reinforcing India’s autonomy in high-altitude technologies.
Agencies
