MoD Approves Rs 4,000 Cr Surveillance Satellite Proposal To Monitor China-Pak Borders

The Defence Ministry approved a proposal worth Rs 4,000 crore for a dedicated surveillance satellite to keep watch of activity along China’s and Pakistan’s borders on Tuesday in order to boost the Indian Army’s monitoring capability.

The Indian Navy and Air Force already have specialised surveillance satellites, and with the current authorisation, the Indian Army will be able to do so as well.

“The proposal for a made-in-India dedicated satellite for the Indian Army was approved by the Defence Acquisition Council on Tuesday. The GSAT 7B satellite project will be carried out in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and would aid the Indian Army’s border monitoring “ANI received information from official sources.

Since a standoff with China’s PLA in Arpil-May 2020 in eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army has been actively working on many initiatives to enhance its military capabilities. Along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, the Army has been beefing up its monitoring equipment, including drones.

Defence officials reacted to the news by saying that the ISRO-built satellite would benefit the country’s “Make in India” initiative to develop indigenous industry. For the past two years, India and China have been at odds over their border.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China is building a bridge that will connect the north and south shores of Pangong Lake.