Indian Army to get new eye in the sky: What you need to know about GSAT-7B satellite and its benefits

The Indian Army has received a great boost after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh gave his nod to the Acceptance of Necessity for the GSAT-7B satellite.

Government sources, according to reports, were quoted as saying, "The Defence Acquisition Council meeting on Tuesday cleared the proposal for a made in India dedicated satellite for the Indian Army. The project for the satellite GSAT-7B will be carried out in partnership with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and would help the Indian Army enhance its surveillance in border areas."

As of today, GSAT-7 (Rukmini) and GSAT-7A are India's only two dedicated military satellites made for the Navy and Air Force respectively. The Indian Army currently uses 30 per cent of the GSAT-7A’s transponder capacity.

Here’s all we know about the GSAT-7B satellite and how it would be highly beneficial to India.

What’s the GSAT-7B satellite?

The GSAT-7B is a communication satellite and is the latest in the GSAT-7 series, which was first launched by ISRO in 2013.

ISRO had defined GSAT-7 as "an advanced communication satellite providing a wide range of service spectrum from low bit rate voice to high bit rate data communication. The GSAT-7 Communication payload is designed to provide communication capabilities to users over a wide oceanic region including the Indian land-mass."

Also called Rukmini, the GSAT-7 was India’s first military satellite. The satellite connects the Navy's warships, aircraft, submarines and land-based communication systems in real-time.

After Rukmini, came the GSAT-7A in 2018. Also called ‘Angry Bird’, it is a dedicated satellite for the Indian Air Force and connects various IAF platforms like aircraft, choppers, drones, airborne early warning and control system and radars, among others.

While much is not known about the technical details of the GSAT-7B satellite, The Print has reported that the satellite will cost Rs 4,635 crore and there would be two units of it. One would be operationalised in space while the other would be on ground.

How GSAT-7B will help India

Till date, the Indian Army has been dependent on GSAT-7A and other satellites, but with this new state-of-the-art technology, the Army will have new eyes in the sky.

The military-grade satellite will be a force multiplier in providing fail-safe communication support.

Experts note that continuous satellite coverage over India’s vast and complex topography will help the Indian Army in maintaining peace and also to carry out security operations, if needed.

Such a satellite would be of utmost importance for the Indian Army as it currently faces a double threat of China and Pakistan lurking at its borders.

The use of such a satellite would also mean that the Army's vast array of radio communication equipment could come under a single platform.

News18 reported that the satellite would majorly benefit the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the force’s inventory by ensuring they have an enhanced flying range in line with their original specifications.

The report explained that as of now the flying range of the UAVs is restricted since they are controlled by a ground station. “When the Army gets its own communication satellite, the UAVs will be able to fly as per their original specifications, since this satellite can provide secure, encrypted communication to them. This will aid in enhancing the operational reach of the UAVs,” a defence source told News18.

The satellite would also enable communications between far-off locations, boosting the Army’s network and making it more war-ready.

A step in right direction, but a long way to go

Defence experts say that the GSAT-7B is a step in the right direction, but cautioned that India had a long way to hold a position of advantage or superiority in space warfare.

China already holds a position of power when it comes to the space domain and it is already investing heavily in space programmes. It has been reported that the Dragon possesses some close to 300 operational satellites.

Since 2005, the Indian Army has used the Cartosat and Risat (Radar Imaging Satellite) series of satellite. These have provided the Indian Army with useful imagery, but India has a long way to go before it can have near real-time imagery or electronic intelligence, that is often essential in maintaining the tempo of modern warfare.

With inputs from agencies

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