India Approves High-Altitude Pseudo Satellite to Fill Surveillance Gap

The Indian Ministry of Defence has approved the acquisition of a fixed-wing High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) capability to strengthen long-endurance surveillance capabilities as the country awaits a 52-satellite military constellation expected to become operational by 2029.

The ministry did not disclose the quantity or specifications of the system, nor did it identify the developer. At least two Indian organizations — one state-owned and one private — are developing indigenous fixed-wing HAPS technology.

A HAPS is essentially a high-endurance unmanned surveillance aircraft designed to operate in the stratosphere, typically at altitudes above 65,000 feet (19,812 meters), allowing it to remain over a designated area for weeks or even months.

By comparison, the RQ-4 Global Hawk, one of the world’s highest-flying operational surveillance drones, has a maximum operating altitude of about 65,000 feet and an endurance of just over a day.

Unlike conventional fuel-powered drones, fixed-wing HAPS use solar panels to generate electricity during the day and rechargeable batteries to sustain flight at night. The thin, low-drag air of the stratosphere further reduces energy consumption.

Low Satellite Count

India currently operates about a dozen military or dual-use satellites to monitor its borders, surrounding seas, and activities in neighboring countries, compared with an estimated 300 military satellites operated by China.

Because low Earth orbit satellites complete an orbit roughly every 90 minutes, a relatively small constellation means revisit times over a given location are hours rather than minutes.

This reduces the frequency of observations and increases the likelihood that time-sensitive activities — such as troop movements, missile deployments, or naval operations — go undetected between satellite passes.

HAPS Fills Gap

A HAPS helps bridge this capability gap by providing continuous optical, infrared, and signals intelligence (SIGINT) coverage across a radius of up to 500 kilometers (311 miles) for weeks at a time while operating above most weather systems and beyond the reach of many air-defense systems.

India is developing two indigenous fixed-wing HAPS. The first, led by CSIR–National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL), has been under development as a technology demonstrator and completed the initial flight trials of a subscale prototype in 2024.

The program has since progressed to higher-altitude and payload-integration tests, including demonstrations with a synthetic aperture radar. According to The Times of India, the full-scale platform is expected to begin flight testing in 2027, with operational capability targeted around 2030.

Designed to operate at altitudes of up to 23 kilometers (75,000 feet) for at least 90 days, it is expected to carry electro-optical/infrared sensors, synthetic aperture radar, and communications payloads for both civilian and military applications.

The second program is being developed by Bengaluru-based NewSpace Research & Technologies, which secured a Ministry of Defence-backed development contract in 2022 and has since been conducting an incremental flight-test campaign using a scaled prototype.

In May 2024, it completed a 27-hour flight at an altitude of 26,000 feet (7,925 meters), setting a national endurance record for an indigenous unmanned aircraft after an earlier 24-hour flight.

These tests are intended to expand the aircraft’s flight envelope ahead of a full-scale platform capable of operating in the stratosphere for up to 90 days.

The full-scale HAPS is expected to have a maximum takeoff weight of about 450 kilograms (992 pounds) and a wingspan of 24-25 meters (79-82 feet).

Operating at around 20 kilometers (65,000 feet), the aircraft will carry a 35-kilogram (77-pound) payload for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, SIGINT, communications relay, and border and maritime surveillance while remaining above commercial air traffic, most weather systems, and the engagement envelope of many air-defense systems.