Washington, US: India would have a GPS-based aviation navigation system by 2011, according to Praful Patel, Civil Aviation Minister, Government of India. He said that the GPS based navigation system would be in place by next year because by then India would launch its own satellite.
“In the meantime we would be doing trial run on borrowed satellite. This is for the entire Indian network. Our entire air mapping would be done by GPS,” he said. He said that he has raised the issue of American restrictions over dual use technology to India in the aviation sector with top US officials. “Dual use technology restrictions were taken up by us also in our meeting with the US Commerce Secretary. Because of this there is a lot of restrictive growth in the aviation and aerospace industry,” continued Patel.
Patel said that following the India-US Open Skies Agreement five years ago, the relationship between the two countries in the aviation sector has reached new heights. We have an aviation cooperation programme which we signed in 2007. We are discussing continuation of those programmes. It involves working with each other on the technical side, on the safety side and there are various initiatives which have already started.
“India is moving into GPS satellite based navigation system from the present ground based navigation system. That will shorten our air routes, especially in the time of global warming and environmental issues are paramount so that less emissions, more efficient aircraft – all these are issues which we are able to discuss because of the aviation cooperation programme,” he added.
Source: Economic Times
