Space Based Surveillance (SBS) Mission | 12 Oct 2024
Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has approved phase 3 of the Space Based Surveillance (SBS) mission.
- It will help in better land and maritime domain awareness for civilian and military applications.
- It will involve the launch of at least 52 satellites in low earth orbit and geostationary orbit for surveillance.
- 21 satellites will be built by ISRO and the remaining 31 by private companies.
- The SBS mission is being handled by the National Security Council Secretariat and Defence Space Agency under the Ministry of Defence.
- The three armed forces will have dedicated satellites for their land, sea or air-based missions.
- SBS 1 was launched in 2001, and involved the launch of four satellites e.g., Risat 2 while SBS 2 came in 2013 with the launch of six satellites e.g., Risat 2A.
- The SBS 3 mission will be supported by India's acquisition of 31 Predator drones from the US, joint construction of military satellites with France and anti-satellite missile capabilities.
- India aims to acquire capabilities to detect enemy submarines in the Indo-Pacific and monitor infrastructure construction by adversaries along its land and sea borders.
Read More: Satellite-Based Communication