MILITARY SATELLITES AND THEIR ROLE IN CONFLICTS

With varied topography that India is endowed with, satellites used for military purposes, can play a crucial role in situations of ongoing military conflict or even preceding one

- AIR MARSHAL B.K. PANDEY (RETD)

A MILITARY SATELLITE IS ONE THAT IS PLACED IN ORBIT IN space to execute functions such as communications, navigation and reconnaissance that are related to a variety of tasks for the military, on the surface of the Earth. The first time a satellite was used for a task related to the military, was a mission for photographic reconnaissance. The United States (US) was the pioneer in this field having forayed into this domain as early as in the 1950s. Later, some attempts were also made by the US to develop satellites capable of fielding weapons to be used against targets located on the surface of the Earth or in space, but efforts in this direction were discontinued in 1967 following the ratification of international treaties banning the deployment of weapons of mass destruction on satellites in orbit.

EARLY DAYS OF MILITARY SATELLITES