India plans to launch over 50 spy satellites and add night-time imaging to enhance its national security capabilities, people familiar with the matter said, after New Delhi encountered surveillance blind spots during a border conflict last year with neighbor Pakistan.
The Narendra Modi-led administration is also looking to build ground stations overseas to relay information more quickly and comprehensively, said the people who asked for anonymity to discuss confidential matters. These could be in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Scandinavia, they said, though local government approval would be required.
Plans are under way to enhance its own satellites with newer technology capable of capturing images in dark, cloudy conditions by moving from electro-optical radar to synthetic aperture radar, the people said. Upgrades are also being worked on to help transfer data from one satellite to another without relying on a ground station, they added.
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