New Delhi, December 19: In a development that will provide greater reach to the Indian Air Force and the Army, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today launched a military communication satellite, the second one since Rukmini — GSAT-7 — was launched in September 2013.
Besides these two, there are a dozen other satellites that are doing surveillance and sending only pictures and videos.
GSAT-7A will be for the use of Indian Air Force (IAF) and partially for the Army. A communication satellite enables live feed and can connect aircraft flying hundreds of miles away.
The Rukmini is for the use of the Navy and it scans the Arabian sea, the Bay of Bengal and also the strategic choke points like the Straits of Malacca. The GSAT-7A will enable the IAF to interlink different ground radar stations, ground airbase and airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft.
The satellite will also help satellite-control the military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the IAF even as the Army (that still awaits its own satellite called the GSAT-7B) will be using 30 per cent of GSAT-7A.
Operating a UAV is a challenge beyond a certain range. It is possible to control and also relay visuals using a satellite. It will provide communication capability to users in Ku-band over the Indian region, the space agency said.
After the successful launch of the satellite meant for the IAF, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa said the launch would enhance the networking and communication capabilities of the Air Force.
The GSAT 7-A will extend the range of operations of the IAF aircraft by providing real-time pictures of areas not within range.
