Constellation of maritime surveillance satellites for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), will be able to trace illegal spillage of oil by ships which will be jointly launched by India and France. In August last year, CNES and ISRO committed to developing and building a constellation of satellites carrying telecommunications and radar and optical remote-sensing instruments, constituting the first space based system in the world capable of tracking ships continuously.
The monitoring centre will be based in India. The main purpose of this constellation is to trace illegal spillage of oil by ships. The IOR has several Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOC) and used by many ships every day. The satellites will be operated jointly by France and India to monitor ships in the Indian Ocean. It will also cover a wide belt around the globe, benefiting a broad range of French economic interests as well.
