526 Km high in the sky, here's how ISRO satellites gave India the precision to perform surgical strikes on PoK terror camps!
While Pakistan’s official line scoffs at the very idea of surgical strikes, India has not only announced upcoming “clinching evidence” to confirm our bold cross-LoC foray, but also credited ISRO’s flock of metallic birds in the sky. India is fast developing a huge capability called 'C4ISR' or 'command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance'!
Our Aerospace Command is manned by experts who understand 'surgical strikes'!
Along with tracking militant movements in real time, ISRO’s world class capabilities enable India give out accurate navigation signals. This is a herculean task, managed by ISRO’s 17,000 strong work force!
In the coming years, India's space assets will play a much bigger role for managing border conflicts!
Today, India has 33 satellites in orbit around the earth and one in the Martian orbit. These include 12 communications satellites; 7 navigation satellites; 10 earth observation satellites and 4 weather monitoring satellites. This is one of the largest constellation of satellites in the Asia Pacific region. Each bird is tailor-made for a specific purpose and each, when needed, helps protect India's supreme national interests!
For the latest surgical strikes, it was the recently launched Cartosat 2 series satellite which deserves credit. From its 526-km perch, this bird can peer at every object in Pakistan & can easily count the number of cars parked in the grand mansion of Pak PM Nawaz Sharif. It rotates across the Earth every 1.5 hours, scanning with a 0.65-m resolution that allows India to count each and every tank, truck & fighter aircraft parked anywhere in Pak or across the world!
Cartosat 2 series has a unique capability of capturing a 1-minute video, which, despite its enormous speed of 37 km a second, is able to focus at a single point for a minute. India is already working on satellites with a 25 cm resolution!
In contrast, Pakistan has binoculars, literally! Pakistan’s lack of a space program allows no satellite launches. India invested heavily in space imaging technology and is now reaping the benefits. Some of our satellites have day and night viewing capabilities (RISAT-1 & RISAT-2), and they can even see through cloud cover!
India's enemies should have no doubts that very soon these swadeshi GPS signals will be leading its commandos into the very den of masterminds who control the terrorists! While understandably much of the resources are focused on land since India has hostile neighbours both on its Western & Eastern fronts, ISRO has not forgotten the deep blue oceans that surround India & they need to be protected as well!
On a specific demand by the Indian Navy, the Indian space scientists have already deployed a satellite the Navy calls 'Rukmini'. This is a dedicated communications satellite which helps the Indian Navy talk to its ships when they are beyond the visual range, in a secure fashion. In coming years, ISRO will also deliver a dedicated satellite made for the Indian Air Force!
