India aerial surveillance: India is moving ahead with a new defence project to build stratospheric airships and high-altitude pseudo satellites. The idea is to give the Indian Air Force a better eye in the sky for surveillance, intelligence gathering, and long-range communication. Reports say the project is called Airship-Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite, or AS-HAPS, and it has been cleared under the Make-I route.
The total cost is estimated at around ₹15,000 crore, including development and the purchase of systems. The government may fund up to 70% of the research and development cost.
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What the New Airship will do
The airship is expected to fly above 20 km in the stratosphere. That is much higher than normal drones and still below low-Earth-orbit satellites. In simple words, it will work like a long-lasting watch tower in the sky. It is being designed to carry optical sensors, radars, and tools for electronic intelligence.
It may also help move data between ground networks and satellites. One big goal is for the platform to stay in the air for months so it can keep watching an area for a long time without needing to land often.
Private firms may join the race
Several Indian aerospace companies are now being looked at for this work. Reports say at least two development partners will be chosen, and the selection will depend on both technical strength and financial stability. The government also wants the sensors on the system to be made in India.
That is important because no private Indian company has yet shown this full technology on its own. Still, government support is expected to push companies to compete and develop the system faster. Along with this, the Defence Ministry is also working on a separate fixed-wing High Altitude Pseudo Satellite plan that can take off from the ground and fly long missions.
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DRDO had already tested a stratospheric airship in May 2025. During that trial, the airship flew to about 17 km over Madhya Pradesh and carried an instrument payload. The flight lasted about 62 minutes and helped prove that such a platform can work in the sky and collect sensor data. That earlier success has now given more strength to the larger AS-HAPS plan, which aims to build a much more advanced system for long-duration surveillance and communication support.
