NEW DELHI: Isro’s navigation satellite NVS-03 carries an indigenous atomic clock along with procured atomic clocks and, if successfully placed in the intended orbit on Friday night, it will strengthen India’s indigenous satellite navigation system or desi GPS, known as Navigation with Indian Constellation (NaVIC).The scheduled launch of NVS-03 by the GSLV-F18 rocket from Sriharikota at 11.51 pm (IST) on Friday, if successful, will complete the quorum of a minimum of four satellites needed for NavIC to run effectively. Currently, NaVIC is down to three satellites (IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1I, and NVS-01).But as four operational satellites are required for a standalone GPS-style position tracking system to work, NaVIC is currently not being used by the armed forces for the purposes of missile navigation, precise positioning and coordination of warships at sea, and indigenous navigation support for troop movement and combat aircraft. The strategic forces are, therefore, dependent on foreign navigation systems like American GPS and Russian GLONASS.Relying on foreign-operated navigation systems like GPS creates a critical dependency under which access can be restricted, downgraded or completely cut off during a conflict or a war, as India experienced during the 1999 Kargil war.Isro has not launched a successful navigation satellite since May 29, 2023, when NVS-01 was sent to space. Thereafter, the NVS-02 satellite was launched on Jan 29, 2025, but it failed to reach the intended orbit due to a pyro valve signal loss in the engine.Indian security forces need an operational NavIC to maintain strategic autonomy and secure tactical advantage without relying on foreign-controlled networks. The four-satellite constellation will ensure secure, uncompromised communication, mobility and targeting data. Modern military hardware such as ballistic missiles and precision-guided munitions require highly accurate Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) signals to function effectively.NavIC was originally designed with a constellation of seven satellites and a network of ground stations operating 24 x 7. Three satellites of the constellation were placed in geostationary orbit at 32.5°E, 83°E and 129.5°E, respectively, and four satellites in inclined geosynchronous orbit with equatorial crossings at 55°E and 111.75°E, respectively, with an inclination of 29° (two satellites in each plane). But over time, NavIC was reduced to three satellites, as replacement satellites could not be placed in orbit due to various circumstances.
