Article Posted on : - Oct 05, 2016

BENGALURU (PTI): Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System will be part of navigational support capability for the Indian Armed Forces with preparations on to integrate it into the aircraft of the three services, Air Vice Marshal Sandeep Singh has said.

"We have started preparations to install IRNSS and its systems in our aircraft. Whatever we say GPS is a system from outside, though it is good and widely used, but our own navigation system is essential both for civilian and for military use," Singh, who is Commandant of Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), told reporters here on Tuesday.

The three services include the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force. He said all the three services, Air Force, in particular, have started preparations to install it in their aircraft.

Meanwhile, Singh also said the test related to BRAHMOS missile from Sukhoi-30 is going on well and initial separation trials have already been conducted.

Singh was speaking to reporters during a visit by media personnel to ASTE, on the eve of the 84th Air Force Day celebrations.

"IRNSS is an Indian version of GPS and it is controlled by us, we will have higher accuracy. So IRNSS will be certainly part of our navigational support capability for all the three services, apart from civilian use. We are in the process, we will use IRNSS," he said.

ISRO's IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system developed by India, and it is designed to provide accurate position information service to users in the country as well as the region extending up to 1,500 km from its boundary, which is its primary service area.

IRNSS-1G, the 7th navigation satellite of seven satellites, constituting the IRNSS space segment, was launched on April 28, its predecessors being IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E and 1F.

Asked about initial test results and accuracy of IRNSS, he said, "It has not been tested till now."

Asked when it will get installed in IAF aircraft, he said, "We will do it at the earliest, because things take time as we have to modify the system that we are set to, we will do in a phased manner ... The process has started."

On the test related to BRAHMOS missile from Sukhoi-30, he said, "It is going on well, it is a good missile developed with Russia and preparations are on for its air to ground capabilities. Initial separation trials have already been conducted. I wish that it will be soon inducted into the Air Force."

ASTE officials, without elaborating, have also indicated at the "restart" of Saras, a 14-seat passenger plane that was grounded.

According to them, discussions are on in this regard.