India orders Army communications satellite

NEW DELHI — India is buying a 29.63 billion rupees (U.S. $360.52 million) communications satellite , dubbed GSAT 7B, for its Army.

Currently, the service is using 30% of the communications capabilities provided by the GSAT 7A, a satellite designed for the Air Force.

A Defence Ministry statement issued March 29 said the government awarded the satellite contract to state-run NewSpace India Ltd., a commercial arm of the national space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation.

The launch of the 5-ton geostationary satellite is to take place in three and a half years.

As prime contractor, NewSpace India is to source numerous parts, subassemblies and systems from domestic small- and medium-scale enterprises as well as startup companies to promote the country’s private space industry.

The satellite will considerably enhance the Army’s capabilities by providing mission-critical, beyond-line-of-sight communication for troops and materiel, the ministry said. The satellite will operate at both X band and Ku band frequencies, and is meant to improve communication connectivity to provide network-centric warfare capabilities.

The GSAT 7B will also help the Army enhance its surveillance of contested border areas with China and Pakistan .

The satellite is also expected to provide integrated communication for the Navy and Air Force. It will comprise two units, one of which will operate in space and the other on the ground.

Vivek Raghuvanshi is the India correspondent for Defense News.

新德里——印度正在为其陆军购买一颗价值 296.3 亿卢比（3.6052 亿美元）的通信卫星，名为 GSAT 7B。

目前，该服务正在使用 GSAT 7A 卫星（专为美国空军设计的卫星）提供的 30% 的通信能力。

印度国防部于 3 月 29 日发布声明称，政府已将卫星合同授予国营的印度新空间有限公司（NewSpace India Ltd.），该公司是国家航天机构印度空间研究组织（Indian Space Research Organisation）的商业部门。

这颗重达5吨的地球静止卫星将在三年半后发射。

作为总承包商，NewSpace India 将从国内中小企业和初创公司采购大量零部件、子组件和系统，以促进该国的私营航天产业发展。

国防部表示，该卫星将为部队和物资提供关键任务所需的超视距通信，从而显著提升陆军作战能力。该卫星将在X波段和Ku波段同时运行，旨在改善通信连接，从而增强网络中心战能力。

GSAT 7B 还将帮助陆军加强对与中国和巴基斯坦存在争议的边境地区的监视。

该卫星预计还将为海军和空军提供综合通信服务。它将由两个单元组成，一个单元将在太空运行，另一个单元将在地面运行。

Vivek Raghuvanshi 是《国防新闻》的印度通讯员。