According to the report, the AS-HAPS programme is being led by the Directorate of Operations (Remote) of the Indian Air Force (IAF), which has invited multiple private sector companies to participate in developing the next-generation surveillance platform. Under the initiative, the government will fund selected industry partners to build a prototype airship capable of performing optical surveillance, electronic intelligence gathering, and long-range communications.
The airships are designed to operate at altitudes ranging between 20 and 30 kilometres, positioning them in the operational gap between high-altitude drones, which generally fly at around 12 kilometres, and low-Earth orbit satellites operating between 500 and 2,000 kilometres above Earth. In addition to persistent surveillance, the platforms will relay data between ground communication networks and satellites.
The programme will be implemented under the Make-I procurement framework, under which the Central Government will fund up to 70 per cent of the development cost for selected industry partners. The project, reportedly valued at approximately ₹15,000 crore, received approval from the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in February. It includes both prototype development and the acquisition of multiple operational airship systems.
Alongside the airship initiative, the Ministry also plans to develop fixed-wing High Altitude Pseudo Satellites (HAPS) capable of conventional take-off and extended surveillance operations. The government intends to shortlist at least two development partners based on their technical expertise and financial capabilities to execute the programme.
The AS-HAPS platforms will carry an array of domestically developed sensors, including radar systems and electro-optical payloads, enabling long-range surveillance across vast operational areas. The airships are also expected to possess in-flight steering capability, allowing operators to reposition them over areas of strategic interest whenever required.
India has already demonstrated progress in this field through the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which successfully tested a payload-bearing prototype in May 2025. The prototype reached an altitude of approximately 17 kilometres during a flight conducted over Madhya Pradesh. Although no Indian private company has yet demonstrated comparable capability, the availability of government funding is expected to intensify competition among domestic defence firms seeking to participate in the high-technology programme.
The initiative places India among a small group of countries pursuing stratospheric pseudo-satellite technology despite significant engineering and financial challenges. Europe's EUROHAPS programme remains at the demonstration prototype stage, while Thales Alenia's Stratobus project is targeting completion in the early 2030s. The United States has conducted tests of high-altitude airships but has not yet deployed an operational system. China's programme remains active but largely undisclosed. Chinese high-altitude balloons have been detected in several parts of the world, including over India, and one such balloon was shot down by the United States at an altitude of nearly 20 kilometres. Although that platform was believed to have limited manoeuvrability, China is widely considered to be pursuing military-grade Airship-based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite capabilities.
The AS-HAPS programme represents a major step in India's efforts to establish indigenous, cost-effective and persistent high-altitude surveillance capabilities. By combining government funding, domestic technological development and private industry participation, the initiative seeks to strengthen national security while reducing dependence on foreign strategic surveillance platforms.
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