India develops e-intel for surveillance

India has developed a new generation Satellite-fitted electronic intelligence system for surveillance applications to keep an eye on hostile neighbours, key defence officials said on Tuesday.

The system has been developed by Hyderabad-based Defence Electronics and Research Laboratory (DLRL) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation, sources said. A DRDO source termed a satellite fitted with this system as a "spy satellite".

The electronic intelligence system on board a satellite takes images of "resources" of hostile countries as it passes over them from the space, they said.

According to sources, select countries such as the US, France and China are already using such type of system.

India also has now designed, integrated and tested such a system.

DRDO is already in discussion with Bangalore- headquartered Indian Space Research Organisation in this regard, and the payload to be flown in one of the low earth observation satellites is expected to be ready by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Director of Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE) U K Revankar said the DRDO lab has developed new electronic warfare system for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and it would be tested shortly.