The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed the trials of a big aerostat system developed by it.
During the trials, which comprised surveillance over Agra and interception of a variety of communications, the aerostat carried electro-optic and communication intelligence payloads. The trials were completed on December 25.
The DRDO has also developed electronic intelligence and radar payloads that will be put to use in the aerostat.
The entire system was designed, developed and integrated by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra Cantonment.
The ADRDE, a premier laboratory of the DRDO, specialises in developing parachutes, lighter-than-air systems, flotation systems and aircraft arrester barriers.
It has developed and supplied a variety of parachutes for a wide range of applications that include para-dropping of troops, weapons and combat vehicles; braking of fighter aircraft; and recovery of payloads of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles and the Indian Space Research Organisation's recoverable satellite.
The laboratory has now diversified into lighter-than-air technologies and developed small and medium-sized aerostats. It recently developed a medium-sized aerostat filled with helium gas and flew it successfully one km over Agra.
Prahlada, Chief Controller (Aerospace and Services Interaction), DRDO, praised the ADRDE for graduating from a laboratory that designed and developed balloons, parachutes and heavy air-drop systems to developing systems of systems.
The aerostat systems, their ground-based command and control systems and payloads were integrated for full exploitation.
An aerostat had a thermal camera for use at night and in low visibility conditions. The electronic intelligence payload carried a communication intelligence system for capturing and analysing a variety of communication. It would be useful for all the three Services, the paramilitary forces and civilian applications, including disaster management, Dr. Prahlada said.
Several high-end technologies the DRDO developed along with big and medium-sized industries in the aerodynamic design of balloons, fabrics, hydraulic winch, electro-optic tether, high pressure helium cylinder manifold led to the realisation of this aerostat platform, DRDO scientists said.
