Israeli Satellite Launch

Press Statement

Israeli Satellite Launch

The Congress-led government has been surreptitiously forging a deep security and military collaboration with Israel. The launching of Israeli spy satellites is just one aspect of this collaboration which is part of the overall India-Israel-US axis. The launch of an Israeli-made spy satellite and the trilateral joint naval exercises off the coast of Japan are the two latest instances.

The Israeli-made satellite, RISAT-2, launched by ISRO on April 20 has raised many questions. It may be recalled that in January 2008, ISRO had launched an Israeli satellite TECSAR which the Israelis are using for surveillance of their neighbouring countries.

At that time, the UPA government refused to confirm what is widely known that India had entered into an agreement with Israel for the launch of three of its spy satellites.

The RISAT-2 satellite has been made by the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) which has been given a Rs. 10,000 crore contract for missile production recently.

The RISAT-2 satellite has been parked in the same orbit of 41 degree inclination as the earlier TECSAR satellite which is being used by Israel for surveillance of the Middle-East, including Iran. It has the SAR technology used in TECSAR.

The Manmohan Singh government cannot obfuscate the issue. It must answer clearly :

1.Is this launch part of the agreement arrived at with Israel for launching its three spy satellites?
2.The government claims that RISAT-2 is meant for surveillance of our borders but then why is this satellite in the same orbit as the earlier Israeli TECSAR satellite?
3.Is the launching of the RISAT-2 a joint venture which involves sharing intelligence with Israel?