Russia Invites India to Participate in Glonass Development
By Jeffrey Hill | July 19, 2012
[Satellite TODAY 07-19-12] Russia has invited India to be a joint participant in the development of its Glonass satellite navigation system, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin confirmed in a July 18 statement. An agreement between Russia and India would mirror the agreement signed by the United States and the European Union in 2004, which allowed cooperation on their respective systems.
“We have offered our Indian counterparts not only use of the Glonass system but also participation in upgrading it. We practically see it as a joint effort. I think our Indian counterparts will be interested in it,” Rogozin said in the statement.
Glonass is only the second worldwide navigation system to enter full operations following the United States’ GPS system. The European Union is currently developing its Galileo global system, which is scheduled to go online in 2014. India has been planning its own IRNSS navigation system over the Northern Indian Ocean with an expected launch date later this year. China plans to launch its Compass navigation system by the end of 2020.