Phase III of the Space Based Surveillance (SBS) initiative, which aims to improve land and sea domain awareness for both military and civilian uses, has been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under the integrated headquarters at the Defence Ministry, the National Security Council Secretariat and the Defence Space Agency are managing the project.
Although the Modi administration has not commented on the permission, it is believed that the plan approved by CCS calls for the deployment of a minimum of 52 surveillance satellites into low-Earth orbit and geostationary orbit. The plan, which would cost ₹26,968 crore, calls for ISRO to build and launch 21 satellites and private businesses to launch the rest 31.
The Vajpayee government launched SBS 1 in 2001, which involved the launching of four surveillance satellites: Cartosat 2A, Cartosat 2B, Eros B, and Risat 2. Six satellites were launched in 2013 to create SBS 2, including Microsat 1 and Risat 2A, Cartosat 2C, Cartosat 2D, Cartosat 3A, and Cartosat 3B. According to the recently approved SBS 3, India plans to launch 52 satellites over the course of the next ten years. News agency learns that the three services will have dedicated satellites for their land, sea or air-based missions.
The Indian government is concentrating on acquiring capabilities that can detect enemy submarines in the Indo-Pacific and track infrastructure construction by its adversaries on the land and sea borders with India, after the Modi administration already signed a letter of intent with France in January for the joint construction and launch of military satellites.
The purchase of 31 Predator drones by India from US-based General Atomics will also aid the SBS 3 operation, as the platform possesses strong surveillance capabilities in addition to its armament package. On March 29, 2019, India conducted a test firing of its anti-satellite missiles, destroying a live satellite in orbit.
