D W LAN ARFA CENTRE FOR LAND WARfaRE STUDOR REIES F S E T R U T D N IE E S C CLAWS V IC ON TO ISI 31 CLAWS RY H V D W THROUG LAN ARFA OR RE F S E T R U T D N IE E S C CLAWS VI N CT IO OR VIS Y THROUGH ISSUE BRIEF No. 184 June 2019 Brig Akhelesh Bhargava, an Army Air EMISAT: A Force Defence officer, was commissioned in Jun 1983. He has tenanted various command and staff appointments. He has done Multiplier AND WAR B Tech (EL), LGSC (O), DSSC and MBA L FA(Fin). Presently he is CI PROMEX, CLAWS. OR RE F S E T R U The Electromagnetic Intelligence (ELINT) D Satellite or EMISAT,T is India’s first dedicated Key Points N I electronic surveillance satellite, and will act as E E S a force multiplier for the Armed Forces. In an C operation like Uri or Balakot, it is important to 1. EMISAT, India’s first dedicated electronic detect and identify the various air force and surveillance satellite, is a force multiplier for the army air defence surveillance and tracking Armed Forces. radars that were operating at the time of 2. ELINT is information, which is the product of operation. activities in the collection and processing for ELINT. ELINT is information, which is subsequent intelligence purposes. the product of activities in the collection 3. EMISAT placed in elliptical sun-synchronous and processing for subsequent intelligence orbit, with tilt to ensure enough dwell time for purposes of potentially hostile communication picking up signals. and non-communication Electronic Magnetic (EM) radiations (other than nuclearC orLAW 4.S EMISAT covers virtually the entire spectrum of radioactive sources). During peacetime, the non-communication equipment, held with our adversary. quest for knowingV enemy electronic order of battle is high on IpriorityC so that during 5. Artificial IntelligenceON (AI) is needed to sort, sift, hostilities, own forces are Table to decipher the SI OR analyse, recordVI and disseminate intelligence. electronic signatures timely. The processY T usedHR OUGH to obtain tactical and technical parameters are 6. EMISAT and AI together will go a long way to as below: make operations like Uri and Balakot a sure l Search. It is concerned with the examination success. of the frequency spectrum to identify hostile electronic emissions. The effectiveness The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi, is an independent think-tank dealing with national security and conceptual aspects of land warfare, including conventional and sub-conventional conflict and terrorism. CLAWS conducts research that is futuristic in outlook and policy-oriented in approach. Website: www.claws.in Contact us: [email protected] D W LAN ARFA OR RE F S E T R U T D N IE E S C CLAWS V IC ON 2 TO ISI RY H V CLAWS THROUG EMISAT ... of search depends on the sensitivity of the search l Peak power output—gives the requirement of receiver, power of hostile emission and ground power of jammer conditions. The various problems encountered l Type of antenna—gives beam shape, beam width, during search include frequency congestion, enemy antenna gain and side lobe pattern using microwave frequencies, low emission power, l Antenna rotation per minute (RPM)—frequency of frequency resolution, modulation technique, mode data update of target of working and low probability of interception. l Type of polarisation l Intercept. This is the process of listening and l Time of opening and duration recording enemy’s electronic emission. It is carried ELINT Collation. When an intelligence problem out after the target is detected by search. The ND Wis defined,A methodology specialists and resource intercept system is required to obtain informationA of RF L allocators selectA the system and plan the mission, hostile emission to include time, typeR and purpose R O taking into accountE the capabilities and limitations of transmission and radiationF characteristics. of collection platforms.S Weather, terrain, technical l Location. Once the sourceE of emission has been T R capabilities and hostile countermeasuresU too determine established, the position coordinates of the emitter T the potential for successful collection.D Through an are obtained by various methods, e.g., triangulation, I N understanding of all available platforms,E the collection etc. The accuracy of Direction Finding (DF) depends E agency synchronises available assets,S and allocates on the characteristicsC of the Electronic Support them to theatre and corps. Measures (ESM) receiver used. l Analysis and Evaluation. The role of analysis is to Means for Collection. All platforms have limitations. scrutinise the intercepts and derive technical and Desirability of a given method of intelligence collection tactical intelligence. It involves sighting of all types is dependent on varying circumstances including of intelligence obtained from search and intercepts, requisite time frame. The various means of collection photo reconnaissance reports, intelligence are enumerated below: summaries and interrogation summaries, etc. l HUMINT includes assets such as open literature, l Recording and Updating. The technical and tactical physical capture and espionage. However, it may intelligence is correctly recorded and the available not be able to provide information in a given time data is updated, so that the same is readily available frame. during hostilities. l Ground-based ESM Equipments have limitation CLAWSdue to terrain masking and technical capabilities. Intelligence on Enemy Radars. Radar equipment l Aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, transmits Radio Frequency (RF) using variety of V aerostats or balloons can access/peek into the enemy antennas depending on its roleIC (surveillance—both N T territory to greaterI Odistances. These have limitation air and battlefield—tactical control,O tracking, fire- IS RY due to technical V capabilities, weather and enemy air- control, etc.). Most of the radars are pulse emitter T type,H UGH RO defence. However, drones can fly for a few hours, while some are continuous wave type. The important balloons can be up till helium gas lasts and aircraft characteristics of radar which are generally required cannot be up 24x7 nor venture into enemy space. for military purposes are as under: l Military Satellites are not custom made for l Frequency range, frequency band and frequency ELINT function and sometimes, the orbits of such hopping facility satellites may not be suitable for the requirement. l Pulse width—gives the minimum range of radar l Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF)—gives the Agencies Involved. Our armed forces along with maximum possible range of radar the civil agencies keep an eye on enemy radars. D W LAN ARFA OR RE F S E T R U T D N IE E S C CLAWS V IC ON TO ISI 3 CLAWS RY H V THROUG The Electronic Emission Policy (EEP) and its place only after the images/recordings have been implementation by the users in the field, dictates how handed over physically to the decipher section. easy or difficult it is to carry out Electronic Support l Military Capable Satellites. India currently has six Measures (ESM) cycle (search, intercept, locate, analyse to eight satellites (CARTOSAT, RISAT, TES), which and record). These processes predominantly are being are exclusively used for military and surveillance carried by Electronic Warfare (EW) units/sub-units purposes. The military satellites have resolution of and Wireless Experimental Units (WEU). They are up to 50 cm currently. Their image capture is of high aided by agencies under the cabinet secretariat such quality and they are capable of taking short videos to as National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) monitor activities of any person, group and enemy and Aviation Research Cell (ARC). A word aboutN theseD Wassets.A However, these satellites are not custom organisations is given in the succeeding paragraphs. LA madeR forF ELINTA and their usefulness is limited to l R R Electronic Warfare (EW) and WirelessO Experimental interpretation of Eequipment photographed. Unit (WEU). EW and WEUF units have basically EMISAT Launch. PolarS Satellite Launch Vehicle ground-based equipmentE to carry out ELINT T (PSLV)-C45 was launched onU April 1, 2019. Indian functions. A large Rnumber of such units/ T Space Research Organisation’sD (ISRO) PSLV, for detachments are deployed along the border. N the first time, released payloadsIE in three orbits. The However, they have limitations in discharging their E rocket first released the 436-kg DefenceS Research and functions, due to line of sight equipment in their C Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Electromagnetic inventory. The data available at a location varies Intelligence Satellite (EMISAT) at 748 km height, about from time to time, depending upon the activation 17 minutes and 12 seconds after lift-off. Thereafter, of electronic equipment by the adversary to achieve it was brought down to place 28 foreign satellites in frequency diversity. The productive efficiency of 504 km orbit (24 x US, 2 x Lithuania, 1 x Spain and 1 the electronic data collation unit is much dependent x Switzerland) and finally the last rocket stage (PS4) on the capability of the analysts. was further brought down to 485 km orbit, where l NTRO. It has access to data from ground-based it doubled up as an experimental platform. The PS4 sensors, Technology Experimental Satellite (TES), hosts the following three payloads: Cartosat-2A and Cartosat-2B besides two Radar l Automatic Identification System (AIS) from ISRO Imaging Satellites namely RISAT-1 and RISAT-2. l Automatic Packet Repeating System (APRS) from These satellites do not have EM intelligence Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) capturing capability. CLAWS l Advanced Retarding Potential Analyser for l Aviation Research Cell (ARC). ARC flies ELINT Ionospheric Studies (ARIS) from Indian Institute of aircraft and their main functionV is aerial surveillance.