ISRO setup satellite transponders to prevent terrorist ships

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will provide a satellite transponder in March 2018 to monitor suspicious vessels. The space agency headquartered in Bengaluru will provide 1,000 transponders as part of a coastal safety ring set up to thwart terrorist attacks such as 26/11 2008 Mumbai.

India's interior ministry on Friday said satellite imagery will soon monitor suspicious ships as part of the country's coastal security strongholds. The monitoring has accuracy for ships under 20 meters.

India has strengthened coastal security following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people. Ten terrorists from Pakistan reach the metropolitan city by boat in the Arabian sea. The government has made another effort to register biometrics of fishermen and an automatic identification system is installed on all ships over 20 meters.

India has a 7,516 km coastline that crosses Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) were developed to address violations of the International Maritime Boundaries and improve security in non-major ports and single point mooring facilities. Coastlines are important because to secure nuclear stations, missile launch centers, defense installations and oils along the coast.