ISRO To Build Indian Navy's Second Satellite For $230M

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will build a new communication-cum-surveillance satellite for the country's naval force after the two parties inked a $230.3 million (INR 1589 Crore) deal last month, the Indian media have reported.

“ISRO recently received an order from the Navy for building the new dedicated 'GSAT-7 repeat' or the 'GSAT-7R.' It will be a replacement for GSAT-7," a source from ISRO said.

The new satellite will likely be delivered to the navy by the end of next year. It will supplement the orbiting GSAT-7 or "Rukmini" geostationary naval satellite launched in August 2013.

Interestingly, the country is conducting a two-day first-ever edition of simulated space warfare exercise dubbed “IndSpaceEx” starting 25 July, 2019.

India also notably joined the elite group of countries to have successfully tested the Anti-Satellite (ASAT) missile under "Mission Shakti" in March of this year. The country exhibited the capability to shoot down a satellite with their ballistic missiles. The feat was previously achieved only by US, Russia and China.

The space organisation launched GSAT-7A to enable the Indian Air Force (IAF) to communicate between all strategic platforms of the air force, including fighter jets, drones and early warning aircraft.

ISRO has also launched a couple of other military satellites such as Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO's) Emisat with radar-detecting capability, and Risat-2B to perform reconnaissance functions.