The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on 26 October 2026 completed a flight trial of an indigenously developed High‑Altitude Platform System (HAPS) that climbed to an altitude of 21 kilometres above mean sea level and remained at 20 kilometres for more than 30 minutes, the Ministry of Defence said.
What the trial demonstrated
DRDO’s Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra, led the development of the stratospheric platform. During the sortie the vehicle relayed live video and continuous vehicle‑status information to a ground control station while being monitored by the Indian Air Force and other aviation and certification authorities.
- Flight ceiling: reached 21 km above mean sea level
- Station keeping: stayed at 20 km for over 30 minutes
- Onboard sensors: inertial measurement unit (IMU), GPS receiver, cameras and an altitude control system
- Recovery: platform descended and was recovered successfully
Purpose and next steps
The Ministry of Defence described the trial as a step in developing endurance capabilities for aerial surveillance. DRDO said the flight provided performance data to support technology development; it was explicitly characterised as a developmental trial and not a systems demonstration.
The test was carried out by ADRDE in conjunction with the Indian Air Force and relevant civil aviation and certification authorities. The platform’s payload and avionics suite—IMU, GPS, cameras and altitude control—were used to collect telemetry and imagery during the trial, and the live downlink was received at the ground control station for evaluation.
Implications cited by DRDO
DRDO noted that elevated platforms such as HAPS could enable persistent surveillance or other missions requiring continuous monitoring in the stratosphere. The flight provided engineers with design and performance data intended to guide subsequent development phases and certification activities.
| parameter | value |
|---|---|
| maximum altitude reached | 21 km |
| time at ~20 km | over 30 minutes |
| primary onboard sensors | IMU, GPS, cameras, altitude control |
The trial advances DRDO’s work on long‑endurance aerial platforms and supplies empirical data for further refinement, integration and future certification. DRDO’s ADRDE will use the results to continue technology maturation towards operational goals as it coordinates with the Indian Air Force and aviation authorities.
