According to an official statement released by the ministry, the defence ministry signed a 3,000-crore contract with New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on Wednesday for an advanced communication satellite, GSAT 7B, for the army to fulfil a long-standing need.
Indian Army’s Own Satellite by 2026
The Army, unlike the Indian Air Force and Navy, does not currently have a dedicated satellite. According to the ministry, ISRO will develop the five-tonne geostationary satellite in-house. The army is expected to receive the satellite in 2026, according to media reports.
The advanced security satellite will support not only ground troops’ tactical communication needs, but also remotely piloted aircraft, air defence weapons, and other mission-critical and fire support platforms. India’s defence acquisition council (DAC), the government’s top weapons procurement body, approved the army’s proposal for a GSAT-7B satellite in March 2022. ISRO’s GSAT-7 series of advanced satellites are intended to provide users with communication capabilities over long distances, including oceans.
According to the ministry, many satellite parts, sub-assemblies, and systems will be sourced from indigenous manufacturers, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups, and the project will employ approximately 300,000 people over the next three and a half years. The ministry also signed two other contracts worth approximately Rs. 2,400 crores with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to improve the armed forces’ air defence capabilities.
The following are the specifics of the projects signed under the contract:
Project Akashteer: This automated air defence control and reporting system will provide the Indian army’s air defence units with a cutting-edge indigenous capability to operate in an integrated manner. Akashteer will effectively control ground-based air defence weapon systems while monitoring low-level airspace over Indian army battle areas.
Sarang Systems: Sarang Systems is an advanced electronic support measure system for Indian Navy helicopters that was designed and developed in-house by the defence electronics research laboratory in Hyderabad as part of the Samudrika programme.
Advanced Communication Satellite: The Advanced Communication Satellite will significantly improve the Indian Army’s communication capability by providing mission-critical beyond-line-of-sight communication to troops, formations, weapons and airborne platforms.
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