India has acquired an Israeli satellite that has day and night viewing capability. A bird can keep a watch over India's hostile neighbours even when the landmass is covered by a thick cloud cover, this capability puts the satellite in the class of what are often called `spy satellites'.

The Indian security forces have been seeking such capability for a long time and the need to procure one quickly was precipitated after the Mumbai attacks. India's existing satellites get blinded at night and in the monsoon season. The satellite will also provide India the capability to track incoming hostile ballistic missiles.

In a few weeks this satellite called a Radar Satellite (RISAT-2) will be launched using the Indian rocket the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The 300 kilogram satellite is the first of its kind for India and is in the process of being integrated with the Indian rocket at India's space port Sriharikota.

ISRO has been developing its very own RadarSat at a cost of almost Rs 400 crores but since that was taking time India went in for a hurried purchase from Israel. India's own RadarSat will launched later in 2009 which will give India a constellation of spy satellites.

Indo-Israeli relations in space are at a new high ever since in January 2008 India launched Israel's very own spy satellite called TecSAR it had a resolution of almost 10 centimetres, meaning it could read car number plates from the sky