Aero Show 2025: First batch of satellites under new space surveillance programme to be launched by 2027-28

Bengaluru: India’s ability to continuously monitor its area of interest from space is set to get a boost as the first batch of satellites for the country’s biggest space-based surveillance programme is likely to be launched in another two years.

“The first lot of satellites under the third phase of the space-based surveillance (SBS-3) programme will be launched by 2027-28. A total of 52 satellites will be launched under the programme,” sources in the military establishment told DH, on the sidelines of Aero India 2025, here.

For the first time, the private sector will play a big role in the surveillance programme as 31 satellites will be made by three firms. The remaining 21 will come from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The Rs 27,000 crore programme received approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security a few months ago.

In the first two editions of the programme (SBS-1 and SBS-2) executed in the last two decades, all the satellites came from ISRO.

Sources said this time ISRO would also partner with France to develop some of these surveillance satellites as the two countries in January 2024 signed a letter of intent on “defence space cooperation.”

Besides having a large constellation of indigenous satellites, the armed forces are also open to access images and analytical products from private sources as a large number of players are operating in the sector.

“Not only the satellites, we are also open to images provided by private entities,” said an official.

Besides surveillance, the armed forces are also looking at increasing use of satellites for communication and positioning and timing. The Indian Navy, for instance, looks at having buoys in the high seas for ocean surveillance and will need high through-put satellites to communicate with the sensors.

India currently has three dedicated satellites for strategic use and two more – GSAT-7R for the Indian Navy and GSAT-7B for the Indian Army – would be launched in the coming months, sources said. The requirement, however, is many more.

The armed forces would also look at integrating the low-earth orbit (LEO) and the medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite based communication systems for a complete overhaul of the communication system, benefiting the navy and the air force. Some of such experiments, sources said, would be tried in the SBS-3 programme.