India is planning to conduct the its first ever simulated space warfare exercise in July, reported The Times of India.
This comes at the heels of India successfully testing an anti-satellite (A-Sat) missile in March, and initiating the establishment of a new tri-service Defence Space Agency.
The exercise, titled ‘IndSpaceEx’, is reportedly a ‘table-top war-game’ and will include participants from the military and the scientific community, reported TOI.
“Space is getting militarised, as also contested and competitive. The main aim of the exercise, to be held in the last week of July under the aegis of the Integrated Defence Staff of the defence ministry, is to asses the requisite space and counter-space capabilities that are needed by India to ensure we can protect our national security interests in this final frontier of warfare.”Senior official to TOI
Stating that ‘IndSpaceEx’ will help to further understand the strategic challenges faced in space, another official told TOI, “India needs credible deterrence in the space domain to prevent our adversaries from blinding and deafening our armed forces by taking out our satellites’ vital for surveillance, communication, missile early-warning, precision-targeting and the like.”
TOI also reported that China moved ahead in developing military space capabilities after testing their anti-satellite missile in 2007, after which they developed kinetic and non-kinetic weapons. Three days previously, they reportedly launched a rocket with seven satellites from a ship at sea.
Whereas the Indian Armed Forces reportedly largely use dual-use remote sensing satellites for surveillance, navigation and communication, apart from two military satellites, according to TOI.
Since the success of Mission Shakti, the new defence space agency has reportedly started to take shape by merging the Defence Imagery Processing and Analysis Centre in Delhi and the Defence Satellite Control Centre in Bhopal. TOI reported that a two-star IAF general will head the agency while an official said, “The agency will eventually grow into a full-fledged Space Command in the future.”
(With inputs from TOI)
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