Indian NavIC gets approval from UN’s IMO, fourth country having globally

New Delhi: The Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has got international recognition. India has prepared NavIC, its own navigation system, launching a group of IRNSS satellites in space on the lines of GPS and GLONASS. International Maritime Organisation (IMO), a special organisation of the United Nations, has approved the system as a global radio navigation system. Therefore, now, the marine vessels can use this Indian program on the lines of the GPS.

This is one more feather in the Indian cap. The IRNSS, with an operational name of NavIC, has received international recognition. The meeting of the maritime security committee of the IMO was held between 4th and 11th November. During the meeting, NavIC was approved as an International Radio Navigation System. IRNSS is a chain of seven satellites and India has developed its own GPS with these satellites. India had sought GPS cooperation from the United States at the time of the Kargil war. The United States had refused to cooperate. Thereafter, the Indian scientists resolved to develop an indigenous system, and the work was started on IRNSS. The Indian scientists developed a system giving more accurate information than GPS, based on the Dual Frequency Band. The last satellite in the IRNSS system chain was launched in 2018. On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi named this system as NavIC.

The IRNSS can get accurate real-time information regarding the situation in the region, up to 1,500 to 1,600 kilometres, from the Indian coastline, in the Indian Ocean. This system is vital even for communication. The researchers are working on increasing the scope of this system. Some more satellites will be launched into space for this purpose. GPS by US and GLONASS by Russia has been approved by the IMO. Now India has joined this elite group. There a large freight movement through the Indian Ocean. These freight ships can use the Indian NavIC, following the IMO approval.