Amid the ongoing threat of an India-Pakistan war, India could face a multi-sided challenge in the seas from Pakistan and its ally China. The HawkEye 360 system will significantly boost India’s real-time surveillance capabilities in large maritime areas.
India-Pakistan war: In a major boost for India’s naval capabilities amid the looming threat of a full-scale India-Pakistan war, the United States has approved the sale of HawkEye 360 maritime surveillance system to New Delhi, including radio frequency (RF) sensors, analytics software, system integration support and training modules, at a total of $131 million.
What is the HawkEye 360 and how it works?
The HawkEye 360 is a swarm of small satellites in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) that can track radio frequency (RF) signals emanating from ships, aircraft, vehicles, and naval systems. The HawkEye 360 system can also capture radio frequency emissions from ships that have turned off their transponders, making it an invaluable tool in maritime surveillance.
The state-of-the-art satellite system works as the RF layer in a larger ISR system, and has additional layers such as electro-optical (EO), infrared (IR) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR), each working in unison or independently to detect, confirm and classify threats. The capabilities of HawkEye 360 can be enhanced using multi-layered surveillance such as ground-based and sea-based surveillance system, providing a virtual 360 surveillance capability to the operator.
HawkEye’s EO imaging provides RF-based location of ships by capturing high-resolution images of vessels during daytime, which are then analysed by human analysts for RF detections. It’s IR sensor detect ship using their heat signature from engines and exhaust, which is helpful in tracking stealthy ships at night.
The system’s SAR imaging captures radar-based images, regardless of weather conditions, essentially nullifying the effect of clouds, and other adverse weather conditions. The SAR layer is fast, accurate, and helps to confirm the size, speed, and location of sea vessels.
How HawkEye 360 benefits India?
Amid the ongoing threat of an India-Pakistan war, India could face a multi-sided challenge in the seas from Pakistan and its ally China. The HawkEye 360 system will significantly boost India’s real-time surveillance capabilities in large maritime areas, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, and make it easier to detect and track enemy vessels.
As mentioned earlier, the HawkEye 360 system can also detect ships that have turned off their AIS. This will enable the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard to identify and curb activities like illegal fishing and smuggling.
The HawkEye 360 will help the Indian Navy to get better information in its Exclusive Economic Zone, and will also help India in disaster relief and rescue operations as the system can detect distress signals enabling rescue teams to respond faster.
