Indian Navy Seeks Indigenous C- and Ku-Band SATCOM Terminals for GSAT-7R-Enabled Network-Centric Warfare

The Indian Navy has moved to strengthen its network-centric warfare capabilities by seeking indigenous development of advanced ship-based satellite communication terminals designed to operate with its latest naval communications satellite, GSAT-7R.

The Navy has floated an Expression of Interest under the Make-II procurement framework for the development of indigenous C-band and Ku-band SATCOM terminals for warships. The programme is intended to reduce dependence on imported communication hardware while providing Indian naval platforms with more secure and resilient long-range connectivity.

The Ministry of Defence’s Department of Defence Production has officially listed the programme as the indigenous development of a Ship Based SATCOM Terminal under the Make-II scheme, with industry responses due by 24 October 2026. The wider requirement is also listed under India’s defence-indigenisation framework as a project for ship-based Rukmani SATCOM terminals for the Indian Navy.

The new terminals are expected to work with GSAT-7R, also designated CMS-03, which was launched on November 2, 2025 aboard ISRO’s LVM3-M5 mission. GSAT-7R is the Indian Navy’s newest dedicated communications satellite and is designed to provide secure voice, data and video connectivity across the Indian Ocean Region.

Satellite communications are central to modern naval warfare because warships, submarines, aircraft and shore-based command centres often operate across vast distances. A secure satellite network allows information collected by one platform to be rapidly distributed across the fleet, creating a common operational picture and allowing forces to operate as an integrated combat network rather than as isolated units.

This capability is particularly important for network-centric warfare, in which sensors and weapons can be distributed across different platforms. A ship or aircraft detecting a target does not necessarily have to be the platform that engages it. Target information can instead be transmitted through secure communication networks to another vessel, aircraft or weapon system better positioned to conduct the engagement.

The Indian Navy has been building such capabilities for more than a decade. Its earlier dedicated naval communications satellite, GSAT-7 Rukmini, entered service in 2013 and significantly improved secure connectivity between naval assets operating across the Indian Ocean. GSAT-7R represents a major expansion of that architecture, with greater capacity and improved communications support for ships, submarines, aircraft and Maritime Operations Centres.

The indigenous terminal programme seeks to ensure that the hardware installed aboard Indian warships evolves alongside the satellite infrastructure supporting it. C-band and Ku-band terminals provide different advantages in terms of bandwidth, antenna dimensions, atmospheric performance and maritime operating conditions, allowing the Navy to employ different configurations according to platform and mission requirements.

According to details reported from the Navy’s EoI, the development programme is expected to begin with three prototype configurations, comprising a large C-band terminal, a large Ku-band terminal and a smaller Ku-band system. Successful development could subsequently lead to production of around 30 terminals.

Shipborne satellite terminals face considerably more demanding conditions than equivalent land-based systems. A naval antenna must maintain an accurate link with a satellite even while the vessel continuously rolls, pitches and yaws at sea. Equipment must also withstand vibration, strong winds, high humidity and prolonged exposure to salt-laden maritime environments.

The Navy is therefore seeking designs that minimise mechanical complexity wherever possible while maintaining reliable satellite tracking. Prototype testing is expected to include simulated ship-motion trials using three-axis motion systems to verify whether the antenna can maintain a stable link under realistic maritime movement.

The systems are also expected to undergo extensive electronic and cybersecurity testing before integration with operational naval networks. Vulnerability assessment is particularly important because satellite communication systems form part of the Navy’s command-and-control architecture and could become high-value targets for electronic warfare or cyberattack during a conflict.

The project is being pursued under the Make-II category, under which participating Indian companies generally fund prototype development themselves before successful systems move towards procurement. The approach is intended to encourage private-sector innovation while reducing the government’s financial exposure during the development stage.

The programme also creates opportunities for Indian MSMEs, startups and specialised communication-technology companies. Domestic companies working in satellite communications, phased-array antennas, RF electronics, tracking systems, cybersecurity and naval electronics could potentially participate either individually or through industrial consortiums.

Indigenous development of the terminals would complement India’s broader effort to localise strategically important defence-electronics systems. While satellites such as GSAT-7R provide the communications backbone, the effectiveness of the network ultimately depends on the antennas, RF modules, processors, encryption equipment and software installed aboard individual ships.

For the Indian Navy, this is particularly important as its operational footprint continues to expand across the Indian Ocean Region. Warships increasingly undertake long-duration deployments extending from the western Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf approaches to the eastern Indian Ocean and beyond. Reliable beyond-line-of-sight connectivity is therefore becoming essential for maintaining situational awareness and coordinated fleet operations.

The indigenous C- and Ku-band SATCOM terminal programme represents another layer in India’s attempt to create a domestically controlled naval command, communications and surveillance architecture. Coupled with GSAT-7R, the systems could give Indian warships more secure and resilient connectivity while supporting the Navy’s transition towards increasingly integrated, data-driven and network-centric operations across the Indian Ocean.

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Official Sources:

1. Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, Government of India
   “EoI for Indigenous development of ‘SHIP BASED SATCOM TERMINAL’ under Make II scheme”
   Last date for industry response: 24 October 2026, 1500 hrs
   https://www.ddpmod.gov.in/en
2. Make in India Defence Production Portal, Government of India
   Project: “Ship based Rukmani SATCOM Terminals”
   Service Headquarters: Indian Navy
   Approval-in-Principle Date: 6 April 2022
   https://makeinindiadefence.gov.in/make1-project-list
3. Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence
   “Indian Navy to Bolster Space-Based Communication with Indigenous GSAT-7R Satellite”
   Published: 2 November 2025
   https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2185397

The Ministry of Defence confirms that GSAT-7R, also designated CMS-03, was developed for the Indian Navy to provide robust telecommunications coverage across the Indian Ocean Region. Its payload supports voice, data and video communications over multiple frequency bands and enables secure connectivity between ships, aircraft, submarines and Maritime Operations Centres.

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