With China increasing its naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region amid the ongoing Sikkim stand-off, the Indian Navy is keeping an eye on the ‘dragon’ with the help of its ‘eye in the sky’, Gsat-7, the Navy’s own dedicated military satellite that was launched on September 29, 2013.
The 2,625-kg satellite, named ‘Rukmini’, has helped the Navy monitor the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as it has a nearly 2,000 nautical mile ‘footprint’. The multi-band communication-cum surveillance satellite, which is operating from the geo-stationary orbit (at 36,000km altitude), provides real-time inputs to naval warships, submarines and maritime aircraft and networking capabilities to its naval assets on the high seas.
Read the full story at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/rukmini-keeps-eye-on-dancing-dragon-on-high-seas/articleshow/59449500.cms
SOURCE: Times of India
