India's maiden defence satellite GSAT-7 launched successfully

India's maiden defence satellite- GSAT-7 -was launched by European space consortium Arianespace's Ariane-5 rocket on Friday, giving a boost to Navy's modernisation push to improve space-based communications and intelligence gathering over a wide oceanic region including the country's landmass. Expected to be operational by September-end, country's first exclusive satellite for military applications, would give a major push to maritime security.