The Chief of the Indian Army, General J.J. Singh, stated in New Delhi on April 3rd that high-resolution images of India’s strategic military bases, which are widely circulated by Google Earth, could pose a threat to India’s security.
General Singh also expressed that this issue is a common concern and that many other countries should work together to address it.
During a seminar organized by the Federation of Indian Industry and the Army, focusing on the theme of “Information in the Battlefield,” both General Singh and Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee discussed these images. Previously, Google Earth had published satellite images of several airports in northern India on its website. Among these images was a picture of the advanced fighter jet Sukhoi 30MKI parked at Pune Airport. Additionally, other facilities, including the Indian Parliament building, were also captured. These images were taken by high-resolution cameras mounted on satellites from the air without detection.
At the end of March, National Security Advisor Vijay Nambia mentioned that to use such national security images, a special license would be required. He argued that there needs to be international regulations to address this issue, as it should not be possible for anyone to find such images simply by clicking a mouse.
