GSAT-7C satellite to strengthen Indian Air Force communications

India’s $270 million GSAT-7C satellite contract with NewSpace India Ltd marks a strategic step toward resilient, sovereign air combat communications, connecting frontline aircraft with critical intelligence beyond conventional radio range. As India expands its military satellite investments, the dedicated Air Force platform will help bridge the gap between space-based surveillance and operational decision-making, while strengthening secure communications in contested environments, says GlobalData, an intelligence and productivity platform. GSAT-7C is expected to launch in mid-2028 and replace GSAT-7A, which was launched in December 2018 with an eight-year design life and is shared by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army. The Navy has already replaced its own satellite: GSAT-7R, a 4,410kg multi-band platform with a 15-year design life, launched in November 2025 to succeed GSAT-7, which has been in orbit since 2013. GlobalData’s report, “Global Military Satellite Market Forecast 2026-2036,” projects that India will spend approximately $9.6 billion on military-satellite procurement between 2026 and 2036. Of this amount, approximately $1.3 billion will be allocated to communications satellites, accounting for approximately 13.5% of total expenditure.Top of FormBottom of Form Vinayak Kamath, Aerospace and Defense Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “India is directing a substantial share of its military space budget toward space-based surveillance, including programs such as the 52-satellite Space Based Surveillance-III constellation. Surveillance satellites are effective only when their data reaches pilots and air defense crews in time to act. Standard line-of-sight radios can lose connectivity when aircraft fly at low altitudes, operate deep beyond the border, or fly behind mountain ranges. GSAT-7C is intended to address this gap by providing a secure, encrypted link between sensors and frontline combat units through Indian satellites, ground stations, and radios.” This communications link would build on India’s existing networked air-defense architecture. According to the Ministry of Defence’s Annual Report 2025-26, the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) centrally coordinated India’s air defense during Operation Sindoor. GSAT-7C expands that coverage directly into the cockpit, bringing the Indian Air Force’s diverse fleet of Russian, French, and domestic fighters onto a single sovereign datalink run through indigenous software-defined radios. This would enable faster data sharing and strengthen command resilience in contested operational environments. Kamath concludes: “India’s two-front challenge now extends into orbit, underscored by reports of Chinese operational support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and Beijing’s expanding counterspace and jamming capabilities. Dedicating GSAT-7C to the Air Force alongside the Navy’s GSAT-7R disperses communications capacity across distinct platforms, making military networks harder to disrupt than a single shared system. While two satellites represent an initial step toward survivability rather than complete protection, this architecture begins building the operational redundancy India requires to ensure no single orbital disruption can sever critical air combat links.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Group Sales Director Simon Hadfield at [email protected]