Satellites help troops in Lalgarh

[Singh]

Satellites help troops in Lalgarh​

New Delhi: The eyes in the sky are helping security forces flush Maoists out of Lalgarh in the West Midnapore district of Bengal. The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is using satellites to extensively map villages and installations under the control of the rebels to guide the troops on the ground, sources in the security establishment said.

Many of Isro's new-generation satellites can obtain high-resolution imageries, giving details till the last square metre. These visuals are helping the 1,600-strong security team comb the jungles and villages, senior officials said.

Though Isro refused to comment, a senior scientist told DNA that the satellites launched by the agency have capabilities of tracking movement on the ground.

Among the satellites that can take high-resolution images are the recently-launched RISAT-2, also termed spysat, the technology experiment satellite and the Cartosat-2A.

The security forces, drawn primarily from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the state police, have so far freed half-a-dozen of the 22 villages and one of the 17 government offices taken over by the Maoists.

"The progress (of security operation) is slow but consistent because our men have been continuously walking for the past 60 hours without much rest. These satellite images are helping us identify the areas within the jungles that are dominated by the Maoists," a senior CRPF officer told DNA.

The forces have not yet faced much resistance in Lalgarh, but the final assault is still to begin since the Maoists are entrenched deep in the jungle. "We are trying to corner the Maoists from four different directions with the help of the local police and the Border Security Force, which is acting as a backup for our commandos," the officer said.

Isro is also providing images of Maoist-hit areas in other states such as Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Orissa, CRPF sources said.

The rebels have a presence in 186 districts across 22 states, which account for more than 30% area of the country. They have carried out more than 900 violent attacks in the past six months, killing at least 180 security personnel. --With inputs from Nirad Mudur in Bangalore.

Satellites help troops in Lalgarh

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Cartosat and RISAT combined should give a complete picture of any area being monitored.

 

[luckyy]

isn't ISRO also help srilanka to flush LTTE out ..

 

[Sridhar]

Publishing this information won't affect the ongoing operations ?

 

[ZOOM]

With the help of satellite technology, we should atleast try to differentiate between concentration of Innocent people and between the armed Rebels on the various landscapes and jungle terrain.

 

[Daredevil]

How long does a satellite can see a particular place given the fact that satellite is in orbital motion around the earth. I know that you cannot watch particular area for more than certain time. Does any one know, what is that time frame?. Thanks

 

[Flint]

isn't ISRO also help srilanka to flush LTTE out ..

I have not heard of anything regarding this.

 

[Flint]

Publishing this information won't affect the ongoing operations ?

I don't think so, because the maoists cannot do anything to avoid the satellites.

 

[ZOOM]

Isreali made UAV's were also being used, but Armed forces had yielded a little or next to know assistance from it, since jungles are really thick to see anything substantial. Even MI-17's were used for survelliance in some regions. Failure of UAV may have prompted use of Satellite, but we don't have a luxury of using satellite for one exclusive purpose, since their mission are pre-determined and cannot go on using other then for some exceptional purpose. We really need to work out utilities of UAV to make them much more effective, since use of satellite is restrictive and costly as well, UAV can bring in real time intelligence.

Even Monsoon is fast approching, so cloud will create further barriar for having a sighting of Naxal affected areas because of cloud. Although RISAT can see through it, but there is a big question mark for all other satellite.

 

[1.44]

isn't ISRO also help srilanka to flush LTTE out ..

Tamil groups would have been up in arms if it were.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

How long does a satellite can see a particular place given the fact that satellite is in orbital motion around the earth. I know that you cannot watch particular area for more than certain time. Does any one know, what is that time frame?. Thanks

it is unconfirmed but i heard RISAT is in real time?

 

[Daredevil]

it is unconfirmed but i heard RISAT is in real time?

Real time not possible LF, unless a given place is followed by a constellation of spy satellites. With one or two spy satellites that we have, it might be difficult to follow a place all the time.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Real time not possible LF, unless a given place is followed by a constellation of spy satellites. With one or two spy satellites that we have, it might be difficult to follow a place all the time.

don't forget we have an intelligence sharing pact with Israel.

 

[ZOOM]

don't forget we have an intelligence sharing pact with Israel.

Intelligence sharing part is one thing and having a real time intelligence through Satellite is different. At the top of that, violence in Lalgarh doesn't have a kind of scale which may commpled india to take the help of all other countries. Since situation at lalgarh is under control.

 

[hit&run]

Real time not possible LF, unless a given place is followed by a constellation of spy satellites. With one or two spy satellites that we have, it might be difficult to follow a place all the time.

why not ??

 

[LETHALFORCE]

I still believe we have real time capabilities some clues:
1)Israeli intelligence sharing pact
2)Israeli satellite launches
3)coordination with Israeli satellites to watch Iran/pakistan

if we did not have real time then 2 out of the 3 above would not make any sense??

 

[Pintu]

CRPF to work with ISRO on sat tracking - India - The Times of India

CRPF to work with ISRO on sat tracking
25 Jun 2009, 0158 hrs IST, TNN

NEW DELHI: The CRPF will soon approach the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to expedite the ongoing project of high-resolution satellite
imaging and video mapping of dense forest areas, used by naxalites and jihadis as hideouts. The project, launched in March last year, is aimed at having exact three-dimensional maps of such areas.

Currently, aerial videography of the forests and the hills in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand is underway. Since lack of knowledge of the topography has been the biggest hurdle before security personnel, CRPF had contacted ISRO to provide such maps which would help it carry out its operations with precision.

“ISRO, Bangalore, is designated as the lead agency for satellite imageries as well as compact GIS solutions for the force. It will provide a customized service to CRPF for providing ground level observation as well as navigation with precision and speed for operational effectiveness,” said a senior home ministry official.

 

[sayareakd]

actually the location of the place should be given to the IB who will inturn give the details to our security forces, that is best method, but it is time consuming, some time data is lost in time.

 

[p2prada]

Our satellite images our forces receive are not real time. They may work out some arrangement in the future though. This would require connecting ISRO to the Headquarters.

The forces on field will definitely not receive real time pictures as we do not have that kind of processing capability as of yet. Even US does not have a mature capability in that front.

Also all our "spy" satellites are in low earth orbit or a sun synchronous orbit. The RISAT 2 makes a pass over India every 90 minutes. If we want 24 hours real time surveillance, we will need 24 satellites at a similar orbit as the RISAT 2.

I guess only US has some thing close to that capability right now. But, still not 24 hours.