After Trump’s Space Force, Modi Government Moves To Setup Defence Space Agency

The government is preparing to set up tri-service organisations to handle domains such as cyberspace, space and special operations, Times of India has reported. The Cabinet Committee on Security may soon approve the move.

These bodies will be called Defence Space Agency, Defence Cyber Agency and the Special Operations Directorate. The Defence Space Agency will bring together the Defence Imagery Processing and Analysis Centre based in Delhi, and the Defence Satellite Control Centre set up in Bhopal. For the Defence Cyber Agency, the existing Defence Information Assurance and Research Agency is to be upgraded.

However, the government has kept the proposal for the formation of an agency to streamline defence pronouncements on the back-burner. According to the report, the decision could have been taken as the government is facing attacks from the Congress on the Rafale. Therefore, it does not want to give the opposition more ammunition. The government has said that the proposal to set up the agency is “impractical and unworkable” as of now.

Currently, India has two unified commands as of now. The strategic forces command set up in 2003 handles the country’s nuclear arsenal. The Andaman and Nicobar command was set up in 2001 as a theatre command.