Defence ministry seeks firms for Rs 15,000 cr high-altitude airship project
The Indian Ministry of Defence has launched a Rs 15,000-crore initiative to develop indigenous high-altitude airship-based pseudo satellites. These platforms aim to provide persistent surveillance and intelligence capabilities at a lower cost than traditional orbital satellites.
Why it matters
This project represents a strategic shift in defense technology, aiming to bridge the gap between drone surveillance and satellite reconnaissance for border security.
NEW DELHI: The defence ministry has invited domestic aerospace firms to design and develop Airship-based High Altitude Pseudo Satellites (AS-HAPS) under a Rs 15,000-crore program for the Indian Air Force to provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) at significantly lower cost than satellites.HAPS are pseudo satellites that hover in the stratosphere at 20 km altitude (65,000 feet), well above commercial air traffic and weather systems. While some HAPS are fixed-wing aircraft, airship-based HAPS are lighter-than-air helium platforms that stay aloft for months at a time.Under the ‘Make-I' procurement category, the govt will fund up to 70% of prototype development costs, inviting Indian private aerospace firms to build these indigenous stratospheric surveillance platforms.
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