New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to get a second dedicated communication satellite and the Navy more indigenous Varunastra heavyweight torpedoes, with the defence ministry on Thursday signing contracts worth around Rs 4,106 crore.
The Rs 2,563 crore contract for the GSAT-7C satellite was signed with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the Department of Space PSU that serves as ISRO's commercial arm. The Rs 1,543-crore torpedo contract was signed with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Hyderabad.
"This indigenously designed, developed & manufactured satellite will enhance the secure, resilient & seamless communication capabilities for the assets of the Indian Air Force, thereby strengthening operational effectiveness," the ministry said in a statement.
GSAT-7C will be the IAF's second dedicated satellite. The first, GSAT-7A, was launched in December 2018 with a designed mission life of eight years. It links the force's ground radars, airbases and airborne early warning aircraft and supports satellite-controlled drones. The Army has also been allotted about 30 per cent of its capacity.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had cleared GSAT-7C in November 2021 at Rs 2,236 crore. The ministry then said it would allow the armed forces to communicate beyond line of sight "in all circumstances in a secure mode". The contract has come nearly five years later, at about 15 per cent higher cost.
The satellite is to be designed, developed and launched entirely in India. It is part of a wider push for sovereign military space capability, which gained urgency after Operation Sindoor. The government has since fast-tracked the Rs 26,968-crore Space-Based Surveillance (SBS-3) programme to place 52 military satellites in orbit.
The Army's own satellite, GSAT-7B, is being built under a Rs 3,000-crore contract signed with NSIL in March 2023. The Navy launched GSAT-7R, the replacement for its GSAT-7 'Rukmini' satellite, in November last year.
Meanwhile, the Varunastra is a ship-launched anti-submarine torpedo developed by DRDO's Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) in Visakhapatnam. "Equipped with advanced maneuvering capabilities, it is capable of engaging enemy submarines at long ranges," the ministry said.
The torpedo can reach a speed of 40 knots and operates at depths of up to 600 metres, according to BDL's specifications.
The DAC had cleared the additional purchase in March last year, citing "adversaries' submarine threats". BDL had received its first order, for 63 torpedoes worth Rs 1,187 crore, in June 2019.
The order comes as the Navy beefs up its anti-submarine warfare capabilities amid Pakistan inducting eight Chinese-designed Hangor-class submarines. They have air-independent propulsion, which lets them stay submerged longer.
The first, PNS Hangor, reached Karachi from China in June. Last month, Pakistan's military said it had test-fired an anti-ship cruise missile from the submarine.