Amid China-Pak Hypersonic Threats, India's Strategic Forces Command Seeks High-Orbit Missile Warning Satellites to Fortify Nuclear Deterrence

In a significant move to bolster its national security, India’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) is advancing a project to develop and deploy a new generation of missile warning satellites.

Sources confirm that this initiative aims to create a robust early warning system against advanced missile threats, particularly from China and Pakistan, thereby strengthening India's nuclear deterrence capabilities.

These satellites are planned for placement in a high geosynchronous orbit (GEO), approximately 35,400 kilometres above the Earth, to provide constant surveillance.

The push for this advanced space-based defence architecture comes in response to an increasingly complex regional security environment.

The SFC, which is responsible for the operational command of India’s nuclear weapons, is looking to counter the deployment of sophisticated weapon systems such as China’s DF-17 hypersonic glide vehicles and Pakistan’s Fatah-II guided rocket systems.

By securing its own dedicated missile detection assets, India aims to ensure it can preemptively identify and track any hostile launches, a cornerstone of a credible defence posture.

Established in 2003, the SFC manages India’s strategic assets, including the land-based Agni-V and submarine-launched K-4 ballistic missiles.

Recognizing the critical need for space-based intelligence, the command is reportedly seeking full operational control over these new satellites.

To achieve this, the SFC has initiated discussions with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as well as private sector firms like Pixxel and GalaxEye, promoting indigenous development in line with the nation's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India) policy.

The proposed satellites will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including powerful infrared sensors and synthetic aperture radar (SAR). This will enable them to detect the intense heat signature of a missile launch and track its trajectory, even at night or through heavy cloud cover.

Operating from a geosynchronous orbit provides a significant advantage over satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), as GEO satellites remain fixed over a specific region, offering persistent, real-time monitoring of the entire Indo-Pacific.

This capability is vital for tracking hypersonic weapons, which travel at over five times the speed of sound and can manoeuvre unpredictably, making them difficult to intercept.

The urgency of this initiative was highlighted by former ISRO chief S. Somanath in June 2025, who stated that India requires "hundreds of satellites" to effectively counter hypersonic threats.

Currently, there is a strategic gap, with China having already deployed over 100 reconnaissance satellites, such as its Yaogan series.

To close this deficit, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, has announced a goal of deploying a constellation of 50 to 52 military satellites by 2030, with missile warning being a primary objective.

This enhanced surveillance capability is crucial for India’s Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system, which includes interceptors designed to destroy incoming missiles.

Timely and accurate data from the new satellites would provide the BMD's AD-1 and AD-2 interceptors with the critical early warning needed to engage and neutralise threats.

Furthermore, this system directly supports India’s "no-first-use" nuclear policy, which relies on having an assured and powerful second-strike capability to deter any potential aggressor.

However, the project faces considerable technical and organisational challenges.

Developing high-resolution sensors for use from such a high orbit, creating long-duration propulsion systems, and ensuring robust cybersecurity against anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons are significant hurdles.

On the organisational front, a clear command and control structure must be established.

A dedicated military space doctrine, anticipated by late 2025, is expected to define the SFC's authority over these critical national security assets, streamlining their command from the existing structure shared by various defence and space agencies.

 

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[Flanker]

We should have spy satellite constellations like China and US.

 

[Ashwin .R]

We should have spy satellite constellations like China and US.

Bro we need to stop starlink and foreign satellites they can be used for dual purpose Iran was a best example. We need anti-satelittes and isro is more than capable we need indegenious satellite network providers.

 

[Mc Addy]

Yes, what's killed in space, stays in space. No big deal, actually. One needs early warning radar ships due to Earth's curvature. They do the best job of detection of ICBM launch, then track via ground stations in mountains and destroy by firing an interceptor missile from the ground to meet it at its reentry point, or launch a hunter-killer mini satellite to meet the missile as it comes up in space and is slowed down, to be then destroyed. All vehicles slow down in space as no air to accelerate is the fact of space entering rockets, whatever.

 

[Shiva Shankar]

One thing is not clear to me,
there are so many Indian satellites rotating near Indian skies and around earth.
Recent war things, they may be receiving several signals.
Why is not such data collected to make up some raw data for AI learning for better estimates of missile traversal related details?
Maybe this will give us a better position to know if existing satellites or new satellites can do this work using AI models trained for it?

 

[swatkats_razor]

Somebody tell the good ministers that for all this, you would need to increase the budget of ISRO from a measly USD 1.5 billion annually to at least USD 6 billion annually. Har jagah jugaad nahin chalta hai.

To increase the budget, you will need to reduce endowments from the Laadki Behana scheme and divert them into R&D. You will need to up your media game and sensitize the general population that nothing in this world comes for free and legislate against parties from using freebies and poll promises as election tools.

It will require political will on the part of the party in power. None of these is difficult to achieve, except perhaps the political will part.

 

[swatkats_razor]

One thing is not clear to me,
there are so many Indian satellites rotating near Indian skies and around earth.
Recent war things, they may be receiving several signals.
Why is not such data collected to make up some raw data for AI learning for better estimates of missile traversal related details?
Maybe this will give us a better position to know if existing satellites or new satellites can do this work using AI models trained for it?

Good observation and analysis. But there are two problems in your analysis. Most of the satellites in rotation over our territory are communication satellites. Think of these as Nokia 3310s in the skies. Good at communication, but don't have a potato for a camera.

For the purpose of reconnaissance, what we need are DSLRs in the skies. Those can only be launched through captive launch capability. Unfortunately, those satellites come heavy (KH-11 weighs around 20 tonnes) and our launch capability is capped at around 4 tonnes to GTO.

For us to be able to launch really advanced spy satellites to match the Chinese, we will need lift capacities in the super-heavy lift category. There are plans in place for ISRO to reach there with the HLV series of launch vehicles, but due to ISRO's anemic budget, progress has been slow.

 

[Mag Gal]

Good observation and analysis. But there are two problems in your analysis. Most of the satellites in rotation over our territory are communication satellites. Think of these as Nokia 3310s in the skies. Good at communication, but don't have a potato for a camera.

For the purpose of reconnaissance, what we need are DSLRs in the skies. Those can only be launched through captive launch capability. Unfortunately, those satellites come heavy (KH-11 weighs around 20 tonnes) and our launch capability is capped at around 4 tonnes to GTO.

For us to be able to launch really advanced spy satellites to match the Chinese, we will need lift capacities in the super-heavy lift category. There are plans in place for ISRO to reach there with the HLV series of launch vehicles, but due to ISRO's anemic budget, progress has been slow.

Lots of these satellites have data collection points that can be combined with AI to get both space-based in-orbit intelligence as well as spatial and ground intelligence. It’s effectively using what you have. Pretty sure operators are aware of this, but the military-civil fusion like China hasn't happened, but it needs to.

A lot can be achieved with even that puny budget; that was what Akashteer is: years of gradual software and now AI-based target discrimination collecting data from all possible sensors.

The good thing is that now I’m finally seeing the ambition and the daring of implementation.

 

[Mag Gal]

Bro we need to stop starlink and foreign satellites they can be used for dual purpose Iran was a best example. We need anti-satelittes and isro is more than capable we need indegenious satellite network providers.

All of it is true. India also has not only A-SAT weapons but now also in-orbit manoeuvre, inspection, and de-orbit capability, and new satellites would surely have this. We also need cheap ground-based laser blinders.

What’s really good to see is the new energy, ambition, and a sense of what's possible, unlike the last 50 years.

 

[swatkats_razor]

Lots of these satellites have data collection points that can be combined with AI to get both space-based in-orbit intelligence as well as spatial and ground intelligence.

A kitchen knife can be used to defence yourself if you are good at martial arts. Yes. Will it save your life against an adversary with a gun? No, howmuchever Rajinikanth may want you to believe, it is next to impossible.

With general purpose or communication satellites built with the sole aim of profit motive, most of the facilities on a satellite are dedicated to the databus and radio. The rest of the sensors are dedicated for self diagnostics. So any redundant feature to collect reconnaissance worthy data will be bare minimum. At least not in the sense we would be able to effectively utilize them.

A lot can be achieved with even that puny budget; that was what Akashteer is: years of gradual software and now AI-based target discrimination collecting data from all possible sensors.

What Akashteer has shown is also a result of an element of surprise. Our adversary (especially China) would have closely watched our expanded capabilities and would be storming their brains by now to mitigate.

The challenge for us is that the components which built up Akashteer, many of them were legacy without much scope for additional capability. I am still hopeful there is a much larger scope of what can be achieved with Akashteer. But this technology sector is fast evolving and we will need to do much more to stay ahead of our adversaries.

The good thing is that now I’m finally seeing the ambition and the daring of implementation.

The aim should be for the agencies to develop an in-house foundational model for AI. That piece is what will take up much of our available research bandwidth. Any meaningful progress in AI will happen after that.

 

[Sandeep]

This is certainly something that we recently approved designing, developing and manufacturing our own military satellites 100% indigenously. There is a large requirement for over 50 exclusive military controlled and operated satellites which can be used for reconnaissance, tracking, SIGINT and communications. So we need our satellites to perform multiple military functions and missions simultaneously. This will reduce the cost and number of such satellites.

 

[Leo red]

Can anyone count how many Arya Bhatt kind of garbage satellites ISRO has given to the defence forces? ISRO promised 50 satellites this year, check media, and more than half a year has passed. False promises and just propaganda. We are nowhere near China. The defence forces should have their own branch of space development. At least they should have a budget in their own hands, not in the hands of ISRO, otherwise they will start running towards the sun, moon, and Mars.