Does India need Space Militarization?

The Rising of space military programs by so-called superpowers in recent years, is propelling this world into the beginning of the space military race. The developments made by Iran this year to launch military reconnaissance satellites after many failures had hit the major headlines. Taking a glimpse of space military missions of the United States of America, an independent space military unit, is already serving in the space domain to assist America in making the space arena weaponized. In year 2018, U.S announced the introduction of new Space Command under the Department of Defense, on another side, Russia is already having a Special Space Forces Unit serving under Russian Aerospace Force since 1992. To stand among the first world rivals, India’s potentiality towards space militarization needs to be more solemn in interest. India’s latest space launching of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLVs) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicles (GSLVs) have shown great success in years, although, the concern of space militarization has still remained the same in years. The acquiring of Anti-Satellite Weapon (ASAT) and Radar Imaging Satellite ( RISAT-2BR1) has already began India’s space military race vis-à-vis capabilities to counter threat against country in outer space but these are still not enough in contrary to Chinese space militarization agenda. The instigation of privatization in the Indian Space Sector and Defence Manufacturing Sector can be taken as an opportunity to fund Indian missions for Space Militarization with a healthy competition that can help in ameliorating delays made by government and further official obligations.

Now the world is not limited to nuclear and weaponry arsenals. Cyberwar has already taken a boom and diplomatic tensions are the new methods of showing disagreements. The shifting of war from the battlefield to computers has shown that conflicts are not just bounded to be fought on lands. China’s uprising must be seen as a red alert for India as both are sharing rivalries since 1962. China’s offensive lifting into the space domain and all missions launched by the Communist Party of China to weaponize Space has agonized India and U.S. In February 2021, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, U.S released a statement that “China has already fielded ground-based (Anti-Satellite weapons) missiles intended to destroy satellites in (Low Earth Orbit) and ground-based ASAT lasers probably intended to blind or damage sensitive space-based optical sensors on LEO satellites.” Though the U.S. is not a lone rival of China and thus, India needs to consider the countering of Chinese Space missions in consequential mode. The major concern should be preparing the offensive and defensive militarization of space and making counter-threat measures against growing weaponry missions in space by the rivals. India requires a stronghold against other military giants to stable the power battle between these powerful in space. 

Sources – Financial Express, National Defense Magazine & Economic Times