This programme is not just about defence\u2014it reflects a national shift toward integrated space infrastructure<\/strong> for both civilian and strategic uses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSpace is the new frontier of geopolitics. India must not be left behind,\u201d says Lt. Gen. Vinod Bhatia (Retd.), former Director General of Military Operations.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The Space-Based Surveillance Programme<\/strong> is India\u2019s response to increasing global investment in space militarisation and satellite reconnaissance<\/strong>. It seeks to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n India\u2019s plan includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n These satellites will work alongside existing assets like Cartosat<\/strong>, RISAT<\/strong>, and EMISAT<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AI will play a critical role in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This aligns with India\u2019s broader AI initiatives in defence, including the DAIIC<\/strong> (Defence AI Integration Cell).<\/p>\n\n\n\n India faces complex maritime challenges:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The SBS programme will give the Indian Navy an edge through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other major powers like the US, China, and Russia<\/strong> have already integrated space surveillance<\/strong> into their military doctrines. India, through this programme, aims to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n India conducted Mission Shakti<\/strong> in 2019\u2014its first anti-satellite test\u2014showcasing its intent to defend space assets.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n While the SBS programme is defence-led, it offers civilian spillovers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dual-use nature<\/strong> of the programme allows for broader national development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n India\u2019s ambition is bold, but it faces:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The SBS programme marks India\u2019s most ambitious defence space push<\/strong> to date. In an era where geopolitical dominance extends to the exosphere, space-based surveillance is not a luxury\u2014it\u2019s a necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the world watches satellites race across the skies, India is ensuring it has eyes of its own, sharp and strategic, watching back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" India\u2019s Sky-High Vision for Security In a major move to transform its strategic capabilities, India is set to deploy 52 satellites under the Space-Based Surveillance (SBS) Programme. These will be positioned in both Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) to provide real-time situational awareness for military, border, and maritime operations. This programme is [Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,4340,4339],"tags":[4105,5785,6555,6553,6167,6556,6548,6558,2313,6546,6559,6554,6557,6552,6550,6560,6545,6549,6551,6547],"class_list":["post-2439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-defense","category-national-security","tag-defensetech","tag-geopoliticsindia","tag-geosatellites","tag-indiainnovation","tag-indiainspace","tag-indianmilitary","tag-isroupdates","tag-leogeoexplained","tag-leosatellites","tag-makeinindiaspace","tag-maritimeawareness","tag-nationalsecurityindia","tag-satellites2025","tag-satellitesurveillance","tag-sbsprogramme","tag-secureborders","tag-spacestrategy","tag-spacewarfare","tag-strategictech","tag-techfordefence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.aquartia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.aquartia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.aquartia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.aquartia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.aquartia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2439"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.aquartia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2442,"href":"https:\/\/blog.aquartia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2439\/revisions\/2442"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.aquartia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.aquartia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.aquartia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.aquartia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udef0\ufe0f What Is the SBS Programme?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.aquartia.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gemini_Generated_Image_cri90ccri90ccri9-1024x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83c\udf0d The Tech Behind the Mission<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellites<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
2. Geostationary Orbit (GEO) Satellites<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83e\udde0 Role of Artificial Intelligence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83c\udf0a Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3 Strategic Context: India\u2019s Position in Space Defence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83e\udde9 Civilian Applications & Dual-Use Benefits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udcca Numbers That Matter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udea7 Challenges Ahead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udd2d Final Orbit: Why This Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nEmerging Technologies and India’s Defence Preparedness<\/a>
Space for defence in India<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n