India eying integrated satellite communication grid: Defence space official

The official said defence forces were looking at a mix of constellations, Defence Space Agency, was formed in 2019 to create a tri-service integrated Aerospace Command led by IAF

India's defence forces are planning to build an integrated satellite communication grid comprising spacecraft in different orbits and data relay systems as space emerges as a new domain of warfare, a senior officer said.

Addressing the DefSat Conference here, Defence Space Agency Director General Air Vice Marshal Pawan Kumar said the defence forces were also looking at collaborating with the industry to meet its requirements to get an edge over its rivals in the domain.

"When you talk of communication, I think the technology that we are focusing on is integrated satellite communication grid. We don't want any service to be over dependent on a particular satellite," Kumar said in the inaugural address at the DefSat conference organised by Satcom Industry Association-India here.

Kumar said the defence forces were looking at a mix of constellations, either Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)-Geostationary Orbit (GEO) or Low Earth Orbit (LEO)-MEO-GEO, and a lot of studies have happened on that.

"We are also looking at tracking and data relay satellite systems primarily because it reduces demand to delivery time as far as OODA loop is concerned," he said.

Kumar said the defence forces were also exploring quantum communications because of the obvious advantages of secrecy.

"We are looking for space and ground-based sensors which include telescopes and radars, along with the complete network so that the commanders can make appropriate decisions, whether it is military level, operational level, or tactical level," he said.

The inaugural session of the three-day conference was addressed by Lt Gen PJS Pannu (retd); Viasat India Managing Director Gautam Sharma; Data Security Council India CEO Vinayak Godse; President SIA-India and CMD Ananth Technologies Subba Rao Pavuluri.