Militarisation Of Space: India Cannot Be Left Behind.... Yet Again; CDS Urges Incorporating New Cutting-Edge Cyber And AI Tech In Modern Warfare

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Anil Chauhan, has said that an intense race towards militarisation of space has expanded the battle in space.

It is important for India to focus on incorporating new technology into the space industry, reports the Indian Express.

He believes that the country needs to move towards enhancing rather than just supporting the military's use of space.

He emphasized that the militarization of space has raised the likelihood of a space war and is amplifying the combat proficiency of land, sea, air, and cyber operations. “The military application of space is the dominant discourse from which we cannot remain divorced,” he said.

Gen Chauhan was speaking at a three-day symposium organised by Indian Space Association (IspA) on defence and space in India.

The symposium occurs at a time when the government and military is increasingly prioritising the space domain. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi launched in October 2020, Mission DefSpace, that has identified 75 challenges for private firms to address in the space sector.

The Chief of Defence Staff emphasized the importance of developing offensive and defensive capabilities in the space domain after anti-satellite tests by Russia and China.

He urged India to expand the NAVIC constellation, provide agile space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and ensure secure satellite-assisted communications.

“We also need to explore the field of miniaturization of satellites and reusable launch platforms to mitigate cost challenges and accelerate the pace of augmenting our space-based capabilities,” Gen Chauhan said.

Adding that ISRO's Project Netra is a step in right direction, Gen Chauhan said, “Populating the space domain and the emergence of a dynamic threat environment to space assets also demanded that India enhance its space situational awareness capability”.

CDS Chauhan stresses the need to protect Indian military assets from trans-domain weapons, air, and outer space targeting. He urges integration of space-based surveillance networks and development of counter space capabilities. “We, as a nation, must realise the importance of building partnerships and sharing of potential in the space domain with friendly foreign countries,” he said.

According to Gen Chauhan, the involvement of commercial companies like SpaceX and Maxar in the space domain has created a new battleground for convergence. This, coupled with the intensifying race towards militarisation of space, has resulted in the expansion of the battle-space and a major transformation in the nature of warfare, he added.

D-G of Defence Space Agency, Air Vice Marshal D V Khot, mentioned India's space sector has made remarkable progress lately. He emphasized the need for every element of the ecosystem to meet a specific performance threshold.

Most technologies used in space are dual-purpose, but for defense purposes, they require specific modifications. The necessary adaptations, expansion, diversification of usage cases, and integration need deliberation to ascertain what each would entail.

DR Samir V Kamat, head of DRDO, has announced that the organization is putting more emphasis on space-related matters including space-based surveillance, space situational awareness, and protecting India's space assets.

“We are now looking at working very closely with industry as well as academia right from the development stage and have started DRDO industry-academia centres of excellence in about 15 institutions mostly within the country,” Kamat said.

Lt Gen A K Bhatt (Retd), DG, ISpA said that the symposium aims to develop a comprehensive strategy for international space cooperation by leveraging policy and strategy.