Mira Aerospace, headquartered in the UAE, and the Indian startup VEDA Aeronautics have joined hands to provide High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) solutions tailored for the Indian market, serving both military and civilian sectors.

According to sources, the project is being handheld by the Indian military, and the High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) has effectively conducted flights over the Pokhran Test Range at an altitude of 12 km. These tests, conducted in March of the preceding year, represent the sole instance of a HAPS flight in the Indian stratosphere, as per the sources.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is exploring the acquisition of a High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) system with the capacity to carry a payload of at least 35 kg and maintain operations at an altitude of 18,000 meters above sea level for a duration of 30 to 45 days.

Running purely on solar power and flying above the clouds at 16-20 km autonomously for months at a stretch, a HAPS platform will fill a capability gap between satellites and HALE (High Altitude Long Endurance) UAVs.

Created under the Ministry of Defence's 'Make-I project' with an allocated budget of Rs 1,000 crore, wherein 90 percent of the funding is provided by the government, the High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) is slated for strategic, continuous monitoring of India's borders.

This HAPS UAV represents a new category of solar-powered platforms currently under development globally, aimed at ensuring persistent surveillance, communication, and scientific endeavours.

Both the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy are fully committed to the project and are seeking to acquire this capability for both short-term and long-term strategic purposes.

Sources said the security establishment along with the IAF is closely monitoring the project and handholding the players.

As a part of this initiative, Mira Aerospace, a collaboration between Bayanat and UAVOS, alongside VEDA Aeronautics, has unveiled a partnership to provide highly advanced High Altitude Pseudo Satellite solutions specifically tailored for the Indian market.

“Under this agreement, the companies have committed to deliver a HAPS platform specific to the Indian market within the first half of 2024. Mira Aerospace and VEDA Aeronautics previously performed test flights in the Indian airspace, where the technology demonstrator HAPS unit flew in the Indian stratosphere. This test continues to be the only such flight in India to date,” said a press statement by Mira Aerospace Thursday.

VEDA Aeronautics, a winner in the Indian Air Force's 'Mehar Baba' swarm drone competition, recently clinched a substantial Rs 300-crore project from the force. The project involves supplying a jet-powered swarm drone system tailored for punitive strikes.

Incidentally, the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), established by the government’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is also working on a similar project but that could take time given the involvement of multiple facets of technology in this project.

NewSpace Research and Technologies Pvt Ltd (NRT), headquartered in Bengaluru, is also engaged in the development of HAPS technology. In December of last year, NRT achieved a significant milestone by conducting its inaugural flight, which lasted more than 21 hours.

The project is being spearheaded under the Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative of the defence ministry. Under this, NRT has signed a contract for an initial proof of concept demonstration, which targets a solar-powered flight lasting longer than 48 hours.

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