Evolving ISR & Digital Space Tech for Modern India

India has emerging capabilities in Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) that include space-based, aerial, and aircraft capabilities. The concluding session focused on this ever-important aspect of Space Security.

Moderating the session, Air Marshal D. Choudhury PVSM AVSM VM VSM (Retd) said, “ISR Capabilities & Digital Space Infrastructure are together an integral part of the Space Security and is a critical part of the National Security.”

ISR as the name implies involves collecting and analyzing information from space assets to support national security, military operations, and civil applications.  On the other hand Digital space goes hand in hand with ISR and is the digital representation of space that is created and used by computers that allows people to develop platforms that others can use.

Indigenous Solution for Indigenous Problems

MapmyIndia provides visual information for the defense industry through its precision, GIS data holdings for the whole country. It offers GIS-ready geospatial data of India, including high-resolution large-scale land-based maps, and undertakes a wide variety of surveys for creating GIS maps. These maps are regularly approved by the Ministry of Defence.

This is a necessity as other mapping, spatial solutions come with a lot of hidden costs and by targeting the users with advertising based on invading user privacy and auctioning those users’ private location and movement data. This is problematic to any citizen. By using MapmyIndia maps and applications users can better protect their privacy.

Mr. Rakesh Verma, Founder and Chairman, MapMyIndia emphasized on this saying, “We are closely working with the Indian Defence Sector. Our platform is not just Indian by name but our Intellectual property is also Indian in Nature. That characteristic is essential for the Indian Defence to consider MapmyIndia.”

Beyond Traditional Nature of ISR

The benefits of ISR capabilities are numerous like improved situational awareness, global coverage, enhanced threat detection, high-resolution imagery, all-weather capability, more effective decision making and increased operational efficiency. With time, there is a changing nature of space-based ISR. Additionally, these advancements allow for multiple sensors on a single satellite, combining Electro-Optical (EO) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) capabilities.

Air Commodore Abhijit Tokekar, VM, Commandant DIPAC chips in on this saying, “Traditionally, space has been associated with imagery intelligence (IMINT). However, new technologies are emerging, such as space-based Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) exemplified by the Hawkeye 360 RF locator.”

ISR provides solutions for collecting, processing, exploiting, and disseminating geospatial intelligence across ISR operations. These principles include imaging systems that deliver high-quality images, Radar systems that are software-reconfigurable sensors and Precision geo-location products that range from body-worn and handheld tools to industry-leading rack-mounted airborne systems.

Brig Arun Kumar D, ADG Mil Survey differentiated between Earth observation characteristics for ISR and geospatial applications by pointing out,” ISR focuses on all-weather capabilities, cloud penetration, spatial resolution, and orbital geometry. Geospatial applications prioritize accuracy, resolution, seamless coverage, cloud cover management, elevation data, and multi-sensor integration.”

GMTI, the next step for ISR?

Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) is a network of satellites that provide continuous video-like surveillance capabilities for commanders on the ground.

GMTI solves the design constraints of building satellites. Suyash Singh, CEO, GalaxEye identifies three design constraints to build satellites. Spatial Resolution, Spectral Resolution, Temporal Resolution, He says, “Mesh Intelligence using Dual Sensor Satellite is the solution to the above three constraints of Spatial Resolution, Spectral Solution and Temporal Resolution. ISR needs more. It needs Ground Moving Target Identification.”

Technologies increasingly work together in a network, or mesh, rather than individually as lone parts, resulting in higher convenience and efficiency for the people using them. GMTI is a type of radar that can detect and track ground vehicles. MTI uses a variety of techniques to find moving objects and filter out unmoving ones like low pulse repetition frequency (PRF) to avoid range ambiguities.