Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 4
Warfare: Information is the key
- Network-Centric Warfare is information superiority-enabled operation
- It raises combat power by networking sensors, decision makers and shooters. The objective: achieve shared awareness, increase speed of command, greater lethality
- Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, run by ISRO,will offer encrypted services
- Integrated air command, control and communications system (IACCCS) is a surveillance platform integrating data and images in real-time battlefields
- The secure network is developed in collaboration with US-based Cisco Systems, HCL Infosystems Ltd and BSNL
In what will be a technological leap
for the Indian Air Force, a satellite-based information gathering system, aided
by “network centric” operations — interlinking of all ground bases, radars,
planes and sensors — will soon be in place. This will enable pan-India
real-time transmission of imagery and enemy targets. The work on both is
underway and is running concurrently.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air
Chief Marshall Arup Raha, addressing a press conference in the National Capital
yesterday, explained the contours of this technology leap that is underway. “We
will have enough satellites for communication, navigation, targeting and
imagery. Four of the IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System) have
been launched and a total of seven will be launched,” he said.
The IRNSS is an independent regional
navigation satellite system run by the Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) and will provide encrypted service.
The space-based system will be
implemented in phases and all are running concurrently, the IAF chief said. On
being asked if the space-based system will have an offensive capability, the
IAF chief said “that I am not able to tell you as of now”. China has an
offensive space-based technology and the US has red-flagged this issue.
Raha listed out the second aspect of
the network capabilities. “In 2-3 years time, we will be fully networked. The
government has approved the IACCCS (integrated air command, control and
communications system)”.
The IACCS, which was functioning on
the western front, would soon cover the air space over the entire country and
island territories by integrating all resources, said Raha.
Sources said the system was a
combination of surveillance platforms and integrated the ability to use data
and images in real-time across many battlefields. This is an IAF-owned,
operated, fully secure, reliable network that will use the AF-Net an
optic-fibre based network created in collaboration with US-based Cisco Systems,
HCL Infosystems Ltd and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
The IACCS,
by using the AFNet, will receive at a central place, direct real-time feeds
from existing space-based overhead reconnaissance satellites.
