India has cleared the acquisition of a fixed-wing High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) system to enhance long-endurance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities ahead of the planned deployment of its 52-satellite military constellation by 2029.
While the Ministry of Defence has not revealed procurement numbers, technical details, or the selected supplier, indigenous HAPS development is underway through both a government-backed program and a private-sector initiative.
Operating in the stratosphere at altitudes exceeding 65,000 feet, a fixed-wing HAPS combines the endurance of a satellite with the flexibility of an unmanned aircraft. Powered by solar energy during the day and rechargeable batteries at night, these platforms can remain airborne for weeks or months, significantly outperforming conventional surveillance drones such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk, whose endurance is limited to just over 24 hours.
The approval comes as India seeks to address a surveillance shortfall caused by its relatively small fleet of military and dual-use satellites. With only about a dozen operational satellites compared to China’s estimated 300 military spacecraft, India’s low Earth orbit assets revisit target areas only every few hours, limiting persistent monitoring of critical activities such as troop mobilization, missile deployments, and naval operations.
A HAPS platform can provide continuous electro-optical, infrared, and SIGINT coverage over an area extending up to 500 km while remaining above commercial air traffic, adverse weather conditions, and the engagement range of many air defense systems.
Among India’s indigenous efforts, CSIR–National Aerospace Laboratories is developing a HAPS technology demonstrator that completed initial subscale flight trials in 2024 and has progressed to advanced payload integration, including synthetic aperture radar testing. The full-scale aircraft is expected to begin flight trials in 2027 and achieve operational capability by around 2030, offering endurance of at least 90 days at altitudes up to 23,000 meters while carrying EO/IR, SAR, and communications payloads.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru-based NewSpace Research and Technologies has been developing its own HAPS under a Ministry of Defence-supported program since 2022. Following successful 24-hour and record-setting 27-hour endurance flights in 2024, the company is preparing for full-scale stratospheric operations. The planned aircraft will feature a maximum takeoff weight of approximately 450 kg, a 24–25 meter wingspan, and a 35-kg mission payload capable of supporting ISR, SIGINT, communications relay, and border as well as maritime surveillance missions for up to 90 days.
