Indian Army set to get own satellite worth Rs 3000 crore

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defence ministry
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The defence ministry on Wednesday signed a Rs3,000-crore contract with New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), for an advanced communication satellite, GSAT 7B, for the Indian Army.This is a major boost for the Indian Army’s communication capability and to fulfill its long-standing need.

Unlike the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy , the army currently does not have a dedicated satellite.

According to the defence ministry the satellite will considerably enhance the communication capability of the army by providing mission critical beyond line-of-sight communication to troops and formations as well as weapon and airborne platforms. The army is likely to get the satellite in 2026, the officials said.

This will be a five-tonne geostationary satellite to be developed indigenously by ISRO.
It is said that the satellite with advanced security features will support tactical communication requirements of not only troops deployed in the field ground , but also remotely piloted aircraft, air defence weapons and other mission critical and fire support platforms.