Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan emphasized the importance of enhancing India’s counter-space capabilities, urging all stakeholders in the defense space sector to collaborate towards this goal. His remarks come against the backdrop of China’s rapid advancement in developing and deploying powerful anti-satellite (A-Sat) weapons.
The Indian armed forces are projected to invest over 25,000 crore rupees in the coming years to fulfill their defense space needs, including the establishment of a constellation of surveillance satellites and secure communication networks.
General Chauhan expressed that this presents a significant opportunity for the private sector to contribute and advocated for the creation of a robust and self-reliant defence space ecosystem.
He encouraged industry collaboration with the armed forces to enhance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities through the development of multi-sensor satellites, on-demand launch services, and a reliable network of ground stations.
Additionally, General Chauhan highlighted the importance of strengthening indigenous positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services by enhancing the NAVIC constellation.
Acknowledging the growing threat to space assets, General Chauhan stressed the need for developing counter-space capabilities as a deterrent.
He underscored the pivotal role of space in augmenting combat capabilities across traditional domains such as land, air, and sea, as well as emerging ones like cyber warfare.
China’s active development of various A-Sat weapons, including kinetic and non-kinetic systems, has raised concerns. Both General Chauhan and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari have emphasized the urgency for India to enhance defensive and offensive capabilities in the space domain.
Despite having a small tri-service Defence Space Agency established in 2019 instead of the Aerospace Command initially demanded by the armed forces, efforts are underway to strengthen India’s space capabilities.
General Chauhan highlighted government initiatives aimed at leveraging space to bolster armed forces’ capabilities, including Mission DefSpace 2022 under the IDEX initiative.
He noted progress in addressing space-related challenges and promoting indigenous space start ups, with significant investments and growth projected in the Indian space economy. Government support, including schemes like the seed fund scheme and technology transfer initiatives, has facilitated the growth of the private space industry in India.
General Chauhan expressed confidence in the continued expansion of the Indian space economy, driven by collaboration between government and industry stakeholders.
