New Delhi: India has initiated an ambitious plan to develop indigenous stratospheric airships capable of carrying out persistent surveillance and intelligence gathering missions, with several private sector companies in the race for the high technology project.

Being steered by Directorate of Operations (Remote) of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the project will involve government funding for selected partners to develop a prototype airship that would be able to operate at altitudes of over 20 km and carry out optical surveillance, electronic intelligence gathering and long-range communications.


The Air Ship-based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (AS-HAPS) project is being undertaken under Make I procedure of procurement, in which the government can fund up to 70% of the research and development costs.

The project was cleared by the high powered Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in February and is pegged at an overall cost of Rs 15,000 crore, including development costs and procurement of an unspecified number of systems. On a parallel track, the defence ministry has also initiated a plan to develop fixed wing High Altitude Pseudo Satellites (HAPS) that can take off from ground and carry out long-range missions.

Sources said several Indian companies involved in the aerospace sector have been approached for the ambitious project and the selection of at least two developmental partners will be undertaken based on technical responses and financial strengths of the responders.

Designed to operate at altitudes of over 20 km, the AS-HAPS will act as a platform operating between high altitude drones (operating at around 12 km) and low earth orbit satellites (500-2,000km). It would also enable transmission of data from ground-based networks to satellites. The systems would be required to operate for months at a stretch, providing persistent intelligence.

The airship will be equipped with a range of sensors to enable long-range surveillance, including radars and optical devices. The government is keen to develop the sensors indigenously as well. It should also be capable of being controlled in flight and steer to areas of interest.

While no private sector company in India has yet demonstrated the technology, the government funding is likely to trigger a keen race to take part in the high-tech developmental project. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has carried out flight trials of the system, launching an airship at an altitude of around 17 km, with an instrumental payload. The test was carried out over Madhya Pradesh in May 2025.

International Efforts

There have been several attempts globally to develop similar systems, which have been challenged with engineering difficulties and high costs.

Europe has a joint EUROHAPS project that is currently in the demonstration and prototype stage. Thales Alenia is developing the Stratobus with a timeline of completed development by the early 2030s.

The US has developed and demonstrated high altitude airships but there is yet no known operational system in service

China’s developments remain shrouded in secrecy but there is a very active programme for high altitude airships. Chinese high-altitude balloons have already been observed all over the globe, including over India. A high-altitude balloon was shot down at a height of around 20 km over the US. While that system was probably a free floating balloon capable of only limited manoeuvres, China is likely to be developing AS-HAPS for military use.