New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given the green light to phase III of the Space-Based Surveillance (SBS) mission. This initiative aims to enhance land and maritime domain awareness for both civilian and military applications. The National Security Council Secretariat is overseeing the mission in coordination with the Defence Space Agency under the integrated headquarters of the Defence Ministry.
Although the government has remained tight-lipped about the approval, sources indicate that the CCS has cleared a proposal to launch at least 52 surveillance satellites into low Earth orbit and geostationary orbit. This project, costing ₹26,968 crore, will involve the construction and launch of 21 satellites by ISRO, with the remaining 31 to be developed by private companies.
Earlier this year, the Modi government signed a letter of intent with France for the joint construction and launch of military satellites, underscoring India’s focus on enhancing its ability to detect enemy submarines in the Indo-Pacific and monitor infrastructure developments along its borders. Additionally, the acquisition of 31 Predator drones from US-based General Atomics, known for their powerful surveillance capabilities, will further boost the SBS III mission
SBS Was Initiated By Vajpayee Government
SBS 1 was initiated by the Vajpayee government in 2001, and involved the launch of four satellites for surveillance, Cartosat 2A, Cartosat 2B, Eros B and Risat 2. SBS 2 came in 2013 with the launch of six satellites, Cartosat 2C, Cartosat 2D, Cartosat 3A, Cartosat 3B, Microsat 1 and Risat 2A. The newly cleared SBS 3 shows that India will be launching 52 satellites within the next decade. HT learns that the three services will have dedicated satellites for their land, sea or air-based missions.
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