Indian Army conducts Exercise Skylight
Recently, the Army has conducted a ‘Skylight’ exercise to test the flexibility of satellite based systems.
The Indian Army has reportedly conducted an exercise for operational readiness of its satellite-based system.
- Satellite-based systems provide flexibility for communications capabilities when ground communication systems are disrupted in times of conflict. Unlike the Indian Air Force and the Navy, the Army does not currently have any dedicated satellites.
- Currently, the Army is utilizing 30% of the communication capabilities of the GSAT-7A.
- The Defense Acquisition Council has approved the proposal of the GSAT-7B satellite to enhance the operational capabilities of the Army.
- The GSAT-7 series satellites are advanced satellites developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). It focuses on meeting the communication needs of the Defense Services.
- GSAT-7 satellite was launched in the year 2013. It is mainly used by the Indian Navy for its communication needs. It helps the Navy to establish a secure and real time communication link. GSAT 7A was launched in the year 2018.
- It helps in enhancing connectivity between ground radar stations, airbases and Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft (AEW&C) of the Indian Air Force.
- The GSAT-7B will primarily cater to the communication needs of the Army. This will help the army to increase its surveillance in the border areas.
Source – The Hindu
