India confronts reliability gaps in its indigenous NavIC satellite system

India built the NavIC (IRNSS) constellation to reduce dependence on foreign navigation services and to secure encrypted signals for its military. Over the years, a number of the satellites have either completed their design life, suffered technical failures, or missed their intended orbits, leaving the system below the minimum number required for precise positioning. The shortfall has raised concerns about the armed forces' ability to rely on NavIC for precision weapons, communications and joint situational awareness.

The Indian Space Research Organisation is working on deploying a new generation satellite to revive the constellation and resolve earlier clock-related reliability issues. Experts argue that a dependable indigenous navigation network is vital for both national security and the broader economy, especially as defence forces move toward networked, multi-domain operations.