Bangalore, July 17: A US-based company is keen to collaborate with indian partners in specific areas of R & D in the development of a Stratospheric airship that has applications in border surveillance and maintaining of maritime sovereignty. The airship is being developed by Stratcom International, whose chairman is Lt. Gen. James Abrahamson, former Director for the Strategic Defence Initiative "star wars programme" for the former US President Ronald Reagan.
Lt Gen Abrahamson, also former Associate Administrator for Space Flight, NASA, and ex-Chairman of Board of Directors of Oracle Corporation, is currently on a visit to India "trying to introduce the idea to various groups." He told reporters here that the airship was unmanned, "autonomous lighter than air vehicles," and had a host of military and civilian applications, including border surveillance and maintaining of maritime sovereignty.
Some areas of application are broad band telecommunication, interactive video, telemedicine, health care and distance education, according to Stratcom, which was formed to investigate and develop the benefits of Stratospheric airships for military purposes and for civil telecommunication applications.

Bureau Report.