India to have own satellite navigation system by 2015

Ajit K Dubey

Bangalore, Feb 11 (PTI) India will launch sevensatellites in the next four to six years to develop its ownversion of the Global Positioning System (GPS) for enhancingsurveillance capabilities and improving accuracy of its weaponsystems.

The Indian Navigation System (INS) satellites wouldprovide coverage over India''s areas of interest for militarypurposes along with its civilian uses, IAF sources told PTIhere.

Till now, India is dependent on the American GPS and hassigned a deal with Russia for using their GLONAS system buthaving an indigenous system would guarantee the availabilityof system during crisis or conflicts.

Asked about similar developments in the neighbourhood,they said China was developing its own version of the GPSwhich will cover the whole globe.

"But we don''t want to cover the whole world and want tofocus on the region important for us," the sources said.

The system is also likely to be used for other purposeslike telecommunications, transport, identifying disaster areasand public safety among others.

The satellites will be placed at a higher geostationaryorbit to have a larger signal footprint and lower number ofsatellites to map the region, they said.

The GPS system is available for civilian uses only. PTIAJD