Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
India is preparing to launch a domestically manufactured spy satellite from a SpaceX facility in Florida, owned by Elon Musk, in April, said media reports.
The new satellite will bolster India's radar imaging satellite (RISAT) fleet, increasing the count from 12 satellites in 2019 to 16, enhancing the country's surveillance capabilities.
Built by Tata Advanced Systems Limited, the defence and aerospace arm of Tata Group, the satellite will be operated from Bengaluru, Karnataka, ensuring operational secrecy for India's surveillance efforts.
The satellite is designated for monitoring infrastructure and acquiring military targets, augmenting India's security measures.
Despite possessing sub-meter resolution satellites, India has previously depended on intelligence data from foreign sources, a gap the new satellite aims to address.
The completed satellite has been sent to the US for launch preparations, marking a significant milestone in India's indigenous satellite capabilities.
Tata Advanced Systems Limited's plant in Bengaluru has the capacity to produce 25 satellites annually, with plans for further investments in the aerospace and defence sectors through an agreement with the Karnataka government.
With tensions rising along India's eastern border with China, the country seeks to expand its satellite fleet to monitor troop movements, aiming to launch an additional 50 satellites over the next five years.
The development of the RISAT series began following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, with RISAT-2 marking India's inaugural dedicated reconnaissance satellite for border surveillance and counter-terrorism operations.
India's advancements in satellite capabilities come amidst China's expansion of electronic and signals intelligence satellite capabilities, potentially affecting regional dynamics, as highlighted by a report from the US Defence Department.