Tracking threats before they reach border: India's next line of defence taking shape in space
India is launching the Space Based Surveillance Phase-III (SBS-III) program, a military initiative to deploy 52 satellites for persistent border and maritime monitoring. The project involves collaboration between ISRO and private domestic firms to enhance national security.
Why it matters
The expansion of India's space program into military surveillance underscores the country's strategic focus on regional security and technological self-reliance.
As the country moves forward to attain its goals of Vikasit Bharat 2047, the armed forces as well as the defence industrial eco-system, buoyed by Aatmanirbharta are now looking at more ambitious goals to achieve during this period dubbed Amrit Kaal. A key area of thrust for the armed forces is to have constant surveillance over the frontiers. This necessity emanates from recent conflict experiences such as the Kargil War in 1999, in which the Pakistani Army captured key positions overlooking the national highway leading from Srinagar to Leh and more recently in Eastern Ladakh. Also, under the Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR) doctrine, New Delhi is seen as the preferred security provider and first responder in the region.
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