PREVIOUS
✖
Solar-Powered MAPSS Surveillance Drone
January 18 , 2026
15 hrs 0 min
24
0
- The Indian Army signed a ₹168 crore contract for the Medium Altitude Persistent Surveillance System (MAPSS), India’s first solar-powered surveillance drone.
- MAPSS is developed by New Space Research & Technologies, Bengaluru, under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) framework of the Ministry of Defence.
- The drone uses solar energy, enabling long-endurance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions across sensitive borders.
- Operational advantages include monitoring movement, observing border activity, supporting communications in remote areas, and reduced detectability due to quiet electric propulsion.
- The MAPSS variant has completed trials in operational environments and builds on earlier high-altitude solar drone tests demonstrating endurance beyond 24 hours at 26,000 feet.
Leave a Reply
Your Comment is awaiting moderation.