Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approves procurement of Air-Ships Based High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (AS-HAPS) for Indian Air Force

Key facts

• Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) granted Acceptance of Necessity to procure AS-HAPS for the Indian Air Force as part of a Rs 3.60 lakh crore capital acquisition package.
• AS-HAPS will provide persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Electronic Intelligence (ELINT), telecommunications, and remote sensing for military applications.
• The system is expected to cost approximately Rs 15,000 crore.
• National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) successfully tested a 23-kg scaled-down prototype at Challakere Aeronautical Test Range in Karnataka's Chitradurga district in February 2024.
• NAL's prototype flew for about eight and a half hours at an altitude of 3 km and achieved altitudes of 24,000 feet during pre-monsoon flight test campaigns.
• NAL is developing a full-scale HAPS with a 30-metre wingspan capable of flying at 23 km altitude for 90 hours by 2027.
• NewSpace Research and Technologies, a Bengaluru-based start-up, has flown a similar solar-powered UAV developed through the iDEX initiative of the Defence Ministry.
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has announced collaboration with a start-up to develop a futuristic HAPS.
• HAPS platforms have civilian applications including disaster management communications, 5G network extension to remote areas, precision agriculture, and environmental monitoring.