New Delhi: The Indian Air Force has launched an ambitious programme to develop high altitude surveillance airships that can remain stationed in the stratosphere for months, significantly strengthening the country’s long range intelligence and reconnaissance capabilities.
The Ministry of Defence has invited domestic aerospace companies to design and develop Airship based High Altitude Pseudo Satellites (AS HAPS), a next generation surveillance platform capable of operating at altitudes above 20 kilometres. Flying at the edge of space, these airships are intended to provide continuous monitoring of hostile borders without the need to land for extended periods.
The project is being led by the Indian Air Force’s Directorate of Operations (Remote) and is designed to bridge an important capability gap between conventional drones and satellites. While military drones typically operate at around 12 kilometres and require regular refuelling, satellites orbit hundreds of kilometres above the Earth and can observe a location only briefly during each pass.
AS HAPS platforms are expected to combine the advantages of both systems by remaining fixed over a region for prolonged periods. This would enable the armed forces to maintain uninterrupted surveillance of troop movements, monitor strategic installations, and gather intelligence on communications deep inside adversary territory without entering foreign airspace.
The Defence Acquisition Council approved the project earlier this year under the Make I procurement category, which encourages indigenous defence development. Under this framework, the government will fund up to 70 percent of the cost of developing prototypes, reducing the financial burden on domestic manufacturers.
The Department of Defence Production has invited interested companies to submit proposals by August 5, 2026.
India has already demonstrated progress in this field through the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which successfully tested an experimental stratospheric airship carrying an instrument payload to an altitude of 17 kilometres over Madhya Pradesh. The new initiative seeks to build on that achievement by partnering with private industry to transform the technology into a fully operational military surveillance system.
Several countries, including the United States, are also actively developing similar high altitude pseudo satellite platforms as demand grows for persistent, long duration aerial surveillance.
