India's Maritime Surveillance Gets a Boost as New CMS-03 Satellite Strengthens Navy's Watch Over the Indian Ocean

With CMS-03 in place, India can now keep a close watch on every warship that enters the region, reinforcing the Navy’s ability to track, analyse, and respond to maritime activity around its shores

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India's maritime security architecture has taken a decisive leap forward with the successful launch of CMS-03, the country's heaviest communication satellite to date.

The satellite, lofted into orbit on November 2, 2025, by the Indian Space Research Organisation's powerful LVM3-M5 rocket, is not merely a technological achievement - it is a strategic asset that significantly enhances India's ability to monitor and secure the vast Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

With CMS-03 in place, India can now keep a close watch on every warship that enters the region, reinforcing the Navy's ability to track, analyse, and respond to maritime activity around its shores.

Launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, the 4,410-kg CMS-03 represents a major milestone for India's space programme.

Until now, satellites weighing over four tonnes were dependent on foreign launches aboard rockets such as Arianespace's Ariane-5 and SpaceX's Falcon 9.

With this mission, ISRO has demonstrated complete self-reliance in deploying heavy-class communication satellites.

The LVM3, often described as ISRO's “Bahubali” for its power and reliability, flawlessly inserted the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit.

This was the launcher's eighth consecutive success and showcased upgrades to its cryogenic stage, which now provides about ten percent more thrust and fuel capacity.

The mission did not just prove the platform's technical maturity; it also cemented India's autonomy in heavy-lift launches—an achievement ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan hailed as a shining example of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

CMS-03 is engineered for a 15-year lifespan and operates across the C, Ku, and Ka communication bands. It carries high-capacity transponders capable of supporting broadband, broadcasting, tele-education, telemedicine, disaster response, and uninterrupted connectivity for aircraft and maritime platforms.