NEW DELHI: In a boost for the country’s aerial surveillance capabilities, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has carried out the successful flight trial of an indigenously developed high-altitude platform (HAPS). The experimental flight attained an altitude of 21 km above mean sea level and remained at an altitude of 20 km for more than 30 minutes, before it was commanded to descend back to the ground.The system was successfully recovered, and flight performance data was analysed, a defence ministry’s release said on Tuesday. An HAPS is a lighter-than-air stratospheric system designed for long-endurance aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering and earth observation.Defence minister Rajnath Singh has complimented DRDO, IAF, PSUs and industry on the successful flight trial of HAPS and stated that the “successful trial is an important milestone in India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat journey towards realising a long-endurance stratospheric airship”.The high-altitude platform, a lighter-than-air system as a long-endurance stratospheric aerial surveillance platform, is being designed and developed by Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra.
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Real-time video data and all other vehicle parameters were acquired from the airborne platform at the ground control station during the entire flight, which showed the intended flight performance. The system carried various instrumentation and control electronic packages like an inertial measurement unit, global positioning system receiver, onboard cameras, altitude control mechanism, besides various other sub-systems. The trial was conducted in coordination with various agencies, including IAF, DGCA, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification and other civil authorities.Defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has congratulated the teams associated with the flight trial of the high-altitude airship platform.
