A communications satellite that will help connect all assets of the Indian Air Force and work as a force multiplier, will be the 17th mission and last launch of Indian space agency ISRO for the year 2018. The long-awaited GSAT-7A, which took off from Sriharikota this evening, will connect all IAF assets like planes, air-borne early warning control platforms, drones and ground stations, building a centralised network. Along with GSAT-7 and GSAT-6, this new satellite, dubbed the Indian Angry Bird, will form the band of communications satellite for use of Indian military.
Recently, the Ministry of Defence cleared a plan to set up a special "Defence Space Agency" - an integrated tri-services unit that will use all Indian space assets for the benefit of the armed forces. This is also the space agency's 69th rocket launch from Sriharikota.
