Indian Army to get its made in India Communication Satellite; Defence Ministry signs a contract of Rs 3,000 Crore.

The
Defence Ministry in a boost to 'Aatmanirbharta' in Defence, the Ministry of
Defence signed three contracts – two with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL),
Ghaziabad and one with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) – at a total cost nearly
Rs 5,400 crore on Wednesday, March 29.
According
to the press release, the first contract with BEL is in regards to procurement
of Automated Air Defence Control & Reporting System ‘Project Akashteer’
worth Rs 1,982 crore for the Indian Army will empower the Air Defence units of
the Indian Army with an indigenous, state-of-the-art capability, to effectively
operate in an integrated manner. Akashteer will enable monitoring of low level
airspace over the battle areas of Indian Army and effectively control the
Ground Based Air Defence Weapon Systems.
While
the second contract with BEL relates to acquisition of Sarang Electronic
Support Measure (ESM) systems along with associated Engineering Support Package
from BEL, Hyderabad at an overall cost of Rs 412 crore for the Indian Navy
which is an advanced Electronic Support Measure system for helicopters of the
Indian Navy.
The
second contract, which the MoD signed is a Rs 2,963 crore contract with New
Space India Limited (NSIL) for procurement of an advanced Communication
Satellite, GSAT 7B for the Indian Army which will provide High Throughput
Services.
At
present, the Indian Air Force and Navy have its own communication satellite and
the Indian Army is the only armed force among other in India who does not have
one.
According
to the Ministry, the army is expected to receive the five-tonne geostationary satellite
in 2026 which will be developed indigenously by Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO).
The
advanced security satellite is said to considerably enhance the communication
capability of the India Army by providing mission critical beyond line of sight
communication to troops and formations as well as weapon and airborne
platforms.
The
proposal for a GSAT-7B satellite was approved by India's Defence Acquisition Council
(DAC), the government's top weapons procurement body.
Reportedly,
ISRO's GSAT-7 series of advanced satellites are designed to provide users with
communication capabilities across vast distances, including oceans.
The
Press release further stated that many satellite parts, sub-assemblies, and
systems will be sourced from indigenous manufacturers, including micro, small,
and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups, and the project will also said to
generate employment for around 300,000 people over the next three and a half
years.
Post your Comment