Strategic Significance of IRNSS-1C Launch

In a major boost to the quest of Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) to realize an independent satellite navigation capability and in a significant step forward for the Indian defence forces in terms of accessing the navigation capability for boosting its operational efficiency, the IRNSS-1C, the third satellite in the seven spacecraft IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System) constellation was successfully launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota on India’s eastern coast on October 16. It took about twenty minutes after the lift off for the satellite with a weight of 1,425 kg to attain an elliptical orbit of 282.56 km x 20,670 km which was very close to the designated orbit. As pointed out by ISRO, this was the twenty seventh consecutive successful mission of four-stage PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle). Moments after the launch, a visibly delighted K Radhakrishnan, Chairman, ISRO said, “The PSLV has done it again. The navigation satellite is up in orbit and the injection was very precise”.

An augmented version of the reliable Indian space workhorse, PSLV, was deployed for launching the satellite. As it is, a similar version of PSLV, known as PSLV-XL was used for launching India’s maiden mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-1, in October 2008; and India’s first inter-planetary probe to the Red Planet, Mangalyaan, in November 2013. It is for the seventh time that ISRO has used PSLV-XL for an orbital mission.

The IRNSS-1C satellite, designed for a lifespan of ten years, carries two types of payloads: navigation payload and ranging payload. While the navigation payload is designed to transmit navigation service signals to the users, the ranging payload is meant to help determine the range of the satellite through a C-band transponder. IRNSS-1C is similar in capability and configuration to its predecessors - IRNSS-1A launched in July 2013 and IRNSS-1B launched in April 2014. The civilian potentials of the satellite can be profitably utilised in terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation. And for the Indian defence forces, the access to IRNSS-1C capability would imply firing of missiles and precision weapons with a high degree of accuracy. Incidentally, a highly precise rubidium atomic clocks embedded in the navigation payload of the spacecraft would help missiles in executing their manoeuvres including circumventing hills.

The IRNSS constellation is designed to provide navigational services to users in India and the region extending upto 1,500 km from the Indian boundaries. Interestingly, sometime ago Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had highlighted the need for India to make available the services of IRNSS to the countries in the South Asia region. While the Standard Positioning Service (SPS) of the satellite will be available to all users, restricted services will be provided to the authorised users like the defence forces. The accuracy of the navigation services of the satellites is expected to be better than 20-metres. The IRNSS spacecraft also carries a Corner Cube Retro Reflector for laser ranging.

IRNSS, which will be an independent regional satellite navigation system on the lines of American GPS, Russian Glonass, European Galileo and Chinese Beidou will free India from its dependence on navigation satellite systems operated by other countries. For instance, the difficulties that India had encountered while accessing the restricted services of American GPS especially for military application like firing of missiles has underscored the importance and strategic significance of an independent satellite navigation constellation. Of course, under an agreement India has entered into with Russia, Indian defence forces will be allowed to make use of the potentials of the Glonass navigation satellite system for military purposes. As envisaged now, the full blown IRNSS constellation with seven spacecraft is expected to be in place by 2015. Of the seven IRNSS spacecraft, three will be in geostationary orbit and four in the inclined geosynchronous orbit.

All the seven satellites in IRNSS constellation will have continuous radio visibility with the Indian control station and will transmit ranging signals using codes and data in S and L5 bands. ISRO has hinted that depending upon the developments in the future, the seven satellite configuration of IRNSS will be augmented with more spacecraft that would ultimately help expand the service of the IRNSS constellation.

A GPS satellite transmits signals from space which are picked up and received by the ground-based GPS receivers. Each GPS receiver then provides a three dimensional location - latitude, longitude and latitude - along with the time. For the defence forces in the thick of operations in the remote battlefield, a GPS system enables locating objects and landmarks in the dark and paves way for the coordination of troop movement even in hitherto unfamiliar territory in addition to facilitating reconnaissance as well as search and rescue operations.

The US GPS satellite was the first space-based navigation system to provide operational services on a continuous basis under all-weather conditions from any part of the world where there is an unobstructed line of sight for four satellites or more. The stunning effectiveness of the US GPS was demonstrated during the operations launched by US-led allied forces in Gulf as well in Afghanistan and Iraq. The potentials of GPS was mainly harnessed to guide bombers to the targets, allow infantry and armoured  units to locate their bases in frightening, featureless expanse of the desert and position artillery in a war zone ideally suited to fire at enemy lines apart from precisely navigating missiles to chosen targets. In Afghanistan, towering mountain have been found to be a major factor in hindering  and weakening signals  transmitted by GPS satellites and consequently  the failure of the defence forces to get the full signal coverage. For the Indian defence forces the IRNSS system capability will be of immense use in refining the network centric warfare techniques. Similarly, the proposed tri-service Indian aerospace command would need a large and independent satellite navigation capability that can be accessed anytime to boost its combat superiority.

By all means, a home grown GPS system like IRNSS could serve as a strategic asset of tremendous significance, especially during wartime to counter the possibility of international navigation satellite service providers denying access to the Indian armed forces. Dedicated navigation satellites have become an indispensable tool for the aircraft, warships and ground based forces to get a head start in the battlefield and derive tremendous tactical advantages to take the adversary by surprise.

Clearly the GPS receivers designed to work with signals transmitted by GPS satellites allows the soldiers to find objects and identify targets even under the cover of darkness, inclement weather or in an unfamiliar territory. Indeed as strategic analysts point out, proper navigation in an unfamiliar territory that is devoid of easily identifiable landmarks is fundamentally vital for the successful accomplishment of reconnaissance missions and well planned military operations.

Incidentally, during India’s 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan, Indian patrols operating in the rugged and difficult to negotiate terrain along the Line of Control (LOC)initially strayed into enemy held territory with disastrous consequences. However, the subsequent availability of hand held GPS receivers proved to be invaluable for the special task forces and crack teams engaged in identifying targets and destroying enemy installations.

Indeed, the Indian defence establishment has learnt the hard way that inputs provided by GPS devices could be exploited to coordinate the movement of troops and supply with a high degree of efficiency. In a military scenario, potential targets need to be constantly tracked before they are flagged as hostile and engaged by various  weapons systems and it is here that GPS systems assumes significance. By feeding the GPS derived data, weapons such as smart bombs, projectiles and even cruise missiles could be guided to hit targets with a high degree of precision. The GPS in tandem with GIS (Geographic Information Service) allows military planners to pictorially view, plan, interpret and visualize data in ways that reveal solution and intelligence as never before.

As it is, most of the combat aircraft now come equipped with GPS gadgets not only for guiding the flight of the aircraft under the cover of darkness, haze and cloud but also to use weapons and ammunition with vastly enhanced efficiency. Indeed, access to GPS capability is vital to stay ahead of the adversaries in the thick of the battlefield. And India cannot afford to lag behind in operating an independent satellite navigation system that Indian defence forces can freely access to boost their combat capability in all their manifestations.

VIews expressed are personal.