India is set to fast-track the launch of 52 dedicated defence satellites following Operation Sindoor, which underlined the importance of “deep” and “persistent” surveillance over enemy territory, ToI reported. A comprehensive military space doctrine is also being finalised to support this expanded capability.
The ₹26,968-crore Phase 3 of the Space-Based Surveillance (SBS) programme, which was cleared by the Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security in October last year, includes the launch of 52 satellites — 21 to be built and launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and 31 by three private Indian companies. The Defence Space Agency (DSA), which functions under the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) of the Ministry of Defence, is leading the project.
The first satellite under this phase is expected to be launched by April next year, and the entire constellation is scheduled to be deployed before the end of 2029. A source told TOI that work is underway to “compress these timelines” to launch the satellites faster into both low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary orbit. “The three private companies that have got the contracts have been told to speed up building of the satellites,” the source said.
“The aim of SBS-3 is to cover much larger areas of China and Pakistan, as well as the Indian Ocean Region, with shorter revisit times (interval between two consecutive surveillance sweeps of the same location) and much better resolution. The space doctrine is also being fine-tuned,” the source added.
Alongside this space initiative, the Indian Air Force is pushing for three high-altitude platform system (HAPS) aircraft. These unmanned aerial vehicles, or “pseudo-satellites”, can operate in the stratosphere for extended periods, conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The pursuit of HAPS by the IAF had previously been reported by TOI.
During Operation Sindoor, which saw high-intensity conflict with Pakistan from May 7 to 10, India relied on domestic satellites like Cartosat and also used commercial foreign satellites to track enemy military movement. “We need to shorten our OODA (observe, orient, decide and act) loop. The faster India gets the 52-satellite constellation up in space the better,” another source told TOI.
India’s satellite ambitions also have a defensive dimension. China is rapidly building up anti-space capabilities. These include direct ascent anti-satellite missiles, co-orbital satellites, electronic warfare systems and high-powered directed energy weapons such as lasers that could deny or degrade another country’s access to space.
In comparison to China’s military space progress, the scale is stark. China’s military satellite fleet has grown from just 36 in 2010 to over 1,000 in 2024, including 360 satellites dedicated to ISR missions.
Speaking at a seminar earlier this month, IDS chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit said there was an urgent need to expand India’s “surveillance envelope” and highlighted how critical “real-time situational awareness” is during military operations. “We must detect, identify and track potential threats not when they approach our borders, but when they are still in their staging areas, airfields and bases, deep within an adversary’s territory,” he said.
He also pointed to China’s decision in April 2023 to create a PLA Aerospace Force, calling it a sign of Beijing’s recognition of space as the “ultimate high ground” in modern warfare. “Their satellites have recently demonstrated sophisticated ‘dogfighting’ manoeuvres in LEO, practising tactics designed to track and potentially disable adversary space assets. They have evolved from a ‘kill chain’ to a ‘kill mesh’ — an integrated network that seamlessly interweaves ISR satellites with weapon systems,” said Air Marshal Dixit.
The ₹26,968-crore Phase 3 of the Space-Based Surveillance (SBS) programme, which was cleared by the Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security in October last year, includes the launch of 52 satellites — 21 to be built and launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and 31 by three private Indian companies. The Defence Space Agency (DSA), which functions under the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) of the Ministry of Defence, is leading the project.
The first satellite under this phase is expected to be launched by April next year, and the entire constellation is scheduled to be deployed before the end of 2029. A source told TOI that work is underway to “compress these timelines” to launch the satellites faster into both low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary orbit. “The three private companies that have got the contracts have been told to speed up building of the satellites,” the source said.
“The aim of SBS-3 is to cover much larger areas of China and Pakistan, as well as the Indian Ocean Region, with shorter revisit times (interval between two consecutive surveillance sweeps of the same location) and much better resolution. The space doctrine is also being fine-tuned,” the source added.
Alongside this space initiative, the Indian Air Force is pushing for three high-altitude platform system (HAPS) aircraft. These unmanned aerial vehicles, or “pseudo-satellites”, can operate in the stratosphere for extended periods, conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The pursuit of HAPS by the IAF had previously been reported by TOI.
During Operation Sindoor, which saw high-intensity conflict with Pakistan from May 7 to 10, India relied on domestic satellites like Cartosat and also used commercial foreign satellites to track enemy military movement. “We need to shorten our OODA (observe, orient, decide and act) loop. The faster India gets the 52-satellite constellation up in space the better,” another source told TOI.
India’s satellite ambitions also have a defensive dimension. China is rapidly building up anti-space capabilities. These include direct ascent anti-satellite missiles, co-orbital satellites, electronic warfare systems and high-powered directed energy weapons such as lasers that could deny or degrade another country’s access to space.
In comparison to China’s military space progress, the scale is stark. China’s military satellite fleet has grown from just 36 in 2010 to over 1,000 in 2024, including 360 satellites dedicated to ISR missions.
Speaking at a seminar earlier this month, IDS chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit said there was an urgent need to expand India’s “surveillance envelope” and highlighted how critical “real-time situational awareness” is during military operations. “We must detect, identify and track potential threats not when they approach our borders, but when they are still in their staging areas, airfields and bases, deep within an adversary’s territory,” he said.
He also pointed to China’s decision in April 2023 to create a PLA Aerospace Force, calling it a sign of Beijing’s recognition of space as the “ultimate high ground” in modern warfare. “Their satellites have recently demonstrated sophisticated ‘dogfighting’ manoeuvres in LEO, practising tactics designed to track and potentially disable adversary space assets. They have evolved from a ‘kill chain’ to a ‘kill mesh’ — an integrated network that seamlessly interweaves ISR satellites with weapon systems,” said Air Marshal Dixit.
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