Military Satellites: Unlocking the potential

Publish Date: 22 February 2012

Rahul Bhonsle
Director, Sasia Security-Risks.Com
rkbhonsle@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

<< Satellites used for military purposes can also play a crucial role in surveillance, early warning, intelligence and communications, especially in a country with varied topography like India. The article digs deep into the role of satellites in the Indian environment and the way ahead in this direction >> India’s operational environment is extremely complex. The terrain panorama spreads from the scabrous super-high altitude pinnacles of Siachen to the hot deserts of Rajasthan, and humid tropical jungles of Andaman to the Himalayas in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. The Tibetan plateau and Karakoram mountains, too, hold a lot of significance for the country. Therefore, the variation in topography poses an intricate military challenge for men and machines alike. Moreover, tactics and operational art required to be applied in these varied areas necessitates considerable flexibility, particularly to exploit force multipliers as satellites in varied scenarios. Of particular importance is the advantage that satellites can provide in dissuasion and deterrence against the backdrop of India’s defensive – offensive strategy. India’s military vista in the near future will extend to the Tibetan plateau and the Indian Ocean on the North South, and the Gulf of Hormuz and the Western Pacific on the East West axis. Continuous satellite coverage within this area would be necessary and may have to be provided for in the years ahead. Satellites can also play a major role in counter insurgency operations spread over the mountainous and hilly patches of ground in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East. Besides, they will also prove invaluable in mapping the uncharted jungles infested by left wing extremists, commonly known as Naxals. Operational exploitation of satellites would necessitate deliberation on three Ts of terrain, tactics and technical parameters; else these will end up as merely “toys for boys” in space. Some issues which can facilitate optimal operational employment are covered herein within the larger facet of military exploitation of space. As is generally known, satellites used for military purposes, which include both categories of dedicated as well as dual use, can perform the operational roles to include surveillance, reconnaissance, early warning and imagery, intelligence (particularly electronic and signal intelligence), the all ubiquitous role of navigation, communications and broadcast relays and provision of metrological details. All these are functions that can also be carried out by terrestrial based systems, but satellites provide additional advantages and expand the area of coverage globally. However, there is a need to highlight some issues of significance in the Indian environment in order to make effective use of their inherent potential. To achieve the best operational results in the early warning role in terms of imagery, surveillance and reconnaissance, satellite coverage required would have to be uninterrupted. A variety of roles are performed in this spectrum with growing importance of detection of launch of ballistic missiles in the future. But, others such as eavesdropping to imagery have become commonplace. However, the challenge is of continuous coverage of the area or at least avoiding gaps between two operationally relevant events. This requires enormous resources and may become challenging for countries like India. The way ahead seems to be the launching of a large number of mini and micro satellites. Yet another aspect is the establishment of ground stations and interpretation. Specialisation in this field is necessary for full exploitation of satellite imagery. An image which cannot be interpreted accurately results in substantial wastage of resources. Thus, there is the need for creating a large pool going down to the tactical level, for exploitation of this advantage that can be obtained from satellites virtually at the forward edge of the battlefield. Fructification of ambitious projects such as the future infantry soldier system (F-INSAS) will not be feasible unless this capability is developed. Another essential aspect is integration of other surveillance resources such as reconnaissance aircraft, unarmed aerial vehicles (UAVs), electronic and signal intelligence assets, ground-based sensors and even vehicle borne or foot mobile patrols for confirmation and real time alerts on information generated by satellites. Integrating all information and intelligence assets along with satellites is important to derive full benefit from the unique capability of satellites to cover a wide area by varied types of sensors, be it optical or infrared. Such an integrated capability would be important for creating a screen of deterrence against any envisaged operational activity by an opponent. For instance, it was activation of radar in disuse over a long period by satellite spotting that first gave an indication of Saddam Hussein’s intention of invading Kuwait in 1990. Integration is also necessary to develop information and intelligence in areas which have not been mapped previously such as the Abujmarh hills of Central India, which have become a stronghold of the Naxals. In this case, satellite mapping will have to be supplemented by integrated use of UAVs with sensors which can penetrate dense foliage and foot patrolling to build a complete grid of terrain and possible rebel hideouts in the first place. This template can then be used for charting out changes occurring through continuous imaging, thereby identifying hot spots of guerrilla activity and then targeting the same accurately. Such a paradigm has apparently not been developed and needs consideration. Navigation is an important function for the military. While precise guidance has been prevalent for weapons for some time where satellites provide an important input even though the terminal phase may be through other means, there is increasing focus on precision operations which can be achieved by providing very accurate fix of operational assets across the spectrum of arena of interest. A dedicated navigation system is necessary to achieve a high degree of accuracy and ensure uninterrupted coverage, both in terms of time and manipulation. Fielding the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) is therefore imperative and current plans denote possible completion between 2015 and 2020. Mutual synergy can be achieved with systems fielded by strategic partners such as Russia for GLONASS or the United States GPS as Indo US strategic relations develop. However, the necessity to have assured navigational coverage for precision guidance of personnel, units and weapon systems needs to be underlined. Building up on GAGAN or GPS aided geo augmented navigation for civil aviation may provide the necessary base for creation of an IRNSS at an accelerated pace. The IRNSS would also have to cover the entire span of area of interest and not be restricted to the Indian sub-continent. The significance of such a system can be underlined by the fact that GPS signals are not only susceptible to manipulation at source but also jamming and interference. Given the extensive dependence on GPS in all spheres, interruption will create a huge gap of credibility affecting operations, both in the physical and the psychological dimension. In case the man in the front line loses faith on his navigation aid or effectiveness of missile launched credibility gap, it may prove to be a battle winning moment for the opponent and would have to be guarded against by creating the IRNSS. Meteorological function is another important dimension of accuracy as well as identifying suitable periods for conduct of operations. Its tremendous importance can be highlighted from the fact that the United States has operated the defence meteorological satellite programme for the past many decades. In the Indian context, weather mapping is important for operations in the Himalayas as well as the Indian Ocean region, thereby highlighting the significance of such a system. Communications function of military satellites is well established. The higher bandwidth provided by communication satellites may induce armed forces to employ more of these in the future. Flexibility and depth offered by communication satellites make these a particularly attractive option for use by military personnel and units. Such links are important for desant operations by para and special forces, ships and long range aircraft. Finally, the issue of anti-satellite weapons needs to be addressed. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been indicating such a capability in the long term, both in the LEO and the higher GEO orbits. Without going into the nuances of weaponisation of space and outer space treaty, such a capability may be necessary, not for use but for dissuasion and deterrence of a possible adversary and has to be in the strategic armoury of the country as soon as feasible. The wide variety of military functions that satellites can perform in the Indian environment have been broadly covered herein. These are roles that have been carried out over a period and have been commonly accepted. The necessity for ownership of satellites assets, either in terms of platforms or allotment of capacity on dual use ones for smooth conduct of military operations in the future, is amply evident. This would have to be a part of the overall national security strategy in case the aim is to retain national autonomy. This will create a high degree of dissuasive capability against a nuclear, conventional as well as sub conventional threat, provided that full spectrum systems are fielded and integrated with other assets such as UAVs. source: www.geospatialworld.net