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Navy creates new post to harness space-based capabilities - The Times of India

The Navy has created a new post of assistant chief of naval staff (communications, space and network-centric operations) with an eye on the future in which space-based military capabilities will play a critical role in all conflicts.

Rear Admiral Kishan K Pandey has taken over as the first ACNS (CSNCO) at Navy HQs here. The move also comes ahead of the planned launch of India's first military satellite, a naval communications and surveillance satellite, this year.

"Communications technology in tandem with space-based capabilities play a pivotal and transformational role in modern warfare. Recognising the critical need to harness these technological capabilities, the Indian Navy has been taking rapid steps to seamlessly integrate all combat platforms and terrestrial nodes through state-of-the art communications and space systems towards network-centric operations," said an officer.

"In addition to making platforms and infrastructure for network centricity, the Navy has also made organisational changes to create and efficiently manage the transition to seamless network-centric capabilities. The creation of the new post is a step in the process to migrate from a 'Platform Centric Navy' to a ' Network Enabled Navy'," he added.

For nearly five years, Rear Admiral Pandey, a communications and electronic warfare specialist, has been spearheading various prestigious projects at the Directorate of Naval Signals related with building the critical network-centric capabilities.