Russia's Glonass satellite navigation system

[Lankan Ranger]

Russia's Glonass satellite navigation system

Russia's next generation Glonass-K2 navigation satellite will be launched in 2013, Russia's Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, said on Tuesday.

"We have decided to modernize the Glonass signal system. We will introduce new signals with a code separation," Sergei Revnivykh, Deputy Director of Roscosmos's Central Research Institute of Machine Building, told a conference in Moscow.

Besides signals on the L3 frequency in the 1205 MHz band, signals will also be transmitted on L1 and L2 frequencies.

The new design will have a 10-year service life.

A modernized Glonass-K1 satellite will be launched in December from the Plesetsk space center 800 km north of Moscow.

Glonass - the Global Navigation Satellite System - is Russian's version of the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian use.

There are currently 26 Glonass satellites in orbit, but three of them are not operational. Around three more GLONASS-M satellites will be launched by the end of 2010.

Russia to launch new generation satellite in 2013 | Science | RIA Novosti

 

[Lankan Ranger]

 

[Vajra_Yuddh]

Cool! This means that hopefully by 2013-14, we will be able to integrate our entire fighter, UAV and helo fleet with the GLONASS, up and running. That would provide precision targeting for the military and even in counter-terrorism where tracking militant movements can be easily tracked.

This till IRNSS is ready.

 

[navtrek]

Cooperation with the Indian government

In January 2004 the Russian Space Agency (RSA) announced a joint venture deal with India's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organization, wherein the two government agencies would collaborate to restore the system to constant coverage of Russian and Indian territory by 2008 with 18 satellites, and be fully operational with all 24 satellites by 2010.[20]

Details announced in mid-2005 reported that Russia would build the satellites and that between 2006 and 2008 two satellites would be launched from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh state, using the Indian Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rockets.[21] As of December 2009, India has yet to launch any satellites as part of this project.

During a December 2005 summit between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Vladimir Putin, it was agreed that India would share some of the development costs of the GLONASS-K series and launch two of the new satellites from India, in return for access to the HP signal.

 

[Surrender2me]

Russia to provide India with GLONASS military-grade navigation signals



Russia to provide India with GLONASS military-grade navigation signals
The Indo-Russian Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), already planned to be loaded with top-end combat features like advanced stealth and super-cruise capability, could also be plugged, uniquely, into a network of satellites. With Moscow willing to grant India unprecedented access to military signals from Russia’s constellation of GLONASS (GLObal NAvigation Satellite System) satellites, the FGFA could access real-time details of its own and enemy positions, terrain information, and have the ability to communicate with Indian forces anywhere on the globe.

A senior Russian diplomat, speaking anonymously to Business Standard, reveals that after extended negotiations with India, Moscow has okayed the provision of military data from GLONASS, in the form of digitised signals. So far, Russia had only agreed to provide India with civilian-grade navigation signals, which permitted an accuracy of 25-30 metres. Now, the military grade signals will allow a far higher accuracy, crucial for military operations.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the New Delhi-based Russian diplomat explained, “India is the only country that Moscow is willing to supply GLONASS military data to. Russia has recently okayed an agreement which officials from both sides have been negotiating for some time. From our side, we are ready to sign, even during (Russian president Dmitry) Medvedev’s visit to India this December.”



Business Standard first reported (Sept 11: ‘India, Russia to ink gen-5 fighter pact&#8217 that India and Russia were set to sign a Preliminary Design Contract to co-develop the FGFA during Russian president Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to India this December. The FGFA programme, towards which each partner will contribute an initial $6 billion (Rs 26,600 crore), aims to develop the world’s premier fighter. The Russian and Indian air forces each plan to buy 250-300 of these aircraft.

Providing satellite navigation and communications to the FGFA would place the aircraft at a higher technological level than even the F-35 Lightning II, the futuristic fighter that America is currently developing. The F-35 uses satellite communications, but not satellite navigation.

Says the Russian diplomat, “It is next-generation features like real-time satellite navigation that will take the FGFA technologically far beyond Sukhoi’s T-50 prototype fighter, which made its first flight in January.”

Russia’s GLONASS network will provide navigational signals worldwide through a constellation of 24 satellites, 18 of which are already operational. America already has an operational satellite navigation system, called the Global Positioning System (GPS). The European Union is implementing its own Galileo system, while India is planning its own network, called Gagan.

India and Russia had earlier agreed to cooperate on the civilian aspects of GLONASS. In January 2007, during President Putin’s visit to India, Russia’s Federal Space Agency and the Indian Space Research Organisation signed agreements to launch GLONASS satellites on Indian booster rockets and to jointly build new-generation satellites.

With President Medvedev’s visit a month after President Obama’s, Moscow has successfully lined up a slew of high-profile signings and events that underscore the strategic nature of the Russia-India partnership. Besides signing of the FGFA development contract and the possible GLONASS agreement, Russia is racing against time to hand over during this period an Akula-class nuclear attack submarine to the Indian Navy. INS Chakra, as the Indian Navy will call this submarine, has been provided by Russia on a 10-year lease for an estimated $900 million (Rs 400 crore).

Global Defence: Russia to provide India with GLONASS military-grade navigation signals