GLONASS

Russia recently agreed on sharing precision signal from the multi-satellite based Russian global navigation system GLONASS with the Indian military set-up. These signals will allow Indian missiles, including those fired from nuclear submarine Chakra, to strike with great precision within half a metre of distant targets.

Background to the deal Under pacts signed in December, 2004, during the Indo-Russia summit in New Delhi in 2010, ISRO and Roskosmos (Russian Federal Space Agency) agreed to closely cooperate in the development of new generation GLONASS-K navigation satellites and launch them from the Indian space center with the help of Indian rockets to speed up the completion of the GLONASS system amid growing competition.

Rekha S.

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 Glonass is a multi-satellite supported global navigation system providing real time position and velocity determination for military and civilian users. It is an alternative to the U.S.-controlled Global Positioning System (GPS).Development of GLONASS began is the Soviet Union in 1976. By 2010, GLONASS had achieved 100% coverage of Russias territory and in October 2011, the full orbital constellation of 24 satellites was restored, enabling full global coverage. The GLONASS satellites designs have undergone several upgrades, with the latest version being GLONASS-K. The 24 GLONASS satellites are orbiting the earth at an altitude of about 11,000 nautical miles (19,100 km).The high altitude ensures that the satellite orbits are stable, precise and predictable, and that the satellitesmotion through space is not affected by atmospheric drag. GLONASS orbit makes it especially suited for usage in high latitudes (north or south), where getting a GPS signal can be problematic.

Rekha S.

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WHY GLONASS IS IMPORTANT FOR INDIAN MILITARY?

Some variations of the Brahmos cruise missile and many future weapons being developed on the concept ofnetwork-centric warfare would depend on satellite navigation for precision, and Glonass is the only option. The only alternative to GLONASS is the U.S. controlled GPS. But, according to strategic affairs experts, depending on GPS would not be strategically sound. A military analysis of the U.S. invasion of Iraq showed that the U.S. had blocked GPS signals to Iraq and then inserted erroneous signals. It left Iraqi military blind beyond visual range. The Iraqi Army got misled and weapons missed their targets. In the light of such a war-time strategy being employed, it is critically important for India to ensure autonomy and choice in strategic communications. Same points were also raised by the former Army Chief and Director-General of Military Intelligence, General S. Padmanabhans book The Writing On The Wall India Checkmates America 2017. India is also a partner in the European Unions Galileo system but since Galileo is only for civilian use, joining the Russian Glonass becomes significant. Thus, Indias quest for strategic autonomy in advanced technology would be served better with the pact on precision signals from Glonass.

Rekha S.

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