Significance of Space Weapons for India – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

The News

• In July 2020, the Russians carried out an, Anti-Satellite (ASAT).
• This shows the importance of Kinetic Energy Weapons (KEWs) and development of Orbital weapons systems.
• United States Space Command (USSC) released a statement that an object was released from the Russian in-orbit spacecraft Cosmos 2453 clearly establishing that the Moscow had carried out a co-orbital ASAT test.

Lesson for India

• The recent Russian test has clearly shown the importance of counter space capabilities.
• India particularly in the context of Chinas’ growing space and counter space capabilities must develop its own space offensive or else the repercussions will be adverse.

The difference..!!

• All countries with space capabilities are potentially in possession of both soft-kill and hard-kill weapons.
  • China, tested its first KEW in 2007, it was a modified two-stage medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) to destroy the Fengyun1C (FY-1C), a non-operational weather satellite, at an altitude of 863 km.
  • In comparison, India’s efforts in building space weapons have been limited. In March 2019, India tested a KEW to carry out an anti-satellite (ASAT) test, destroying a small earth-observation (EO) satellite called the Microsat-R at altitude of 283 km.

Balance Of Power Is Needed

• The success of India’s ASAT test of March 2019 demonstrated the country’s ground-launched KEW capability. However, the country’s kinetic capabilities are not without limitations vis-à-vis its situation with China.
  • In 2008, the BX-1, a miniature imaging satellite was deployed by China which flew close to International Space Station (ISS). .
  • Again in 2008, China launched the SJ-12 satellite, which is believed to possess counter space capabilities such as jamming.
  • In 2013, China tested the SC-19 ASAT system that can 24 hit targets in GEO.
  • Later it tested another missile,DN-3, which is ASAT capable in LEO

Balance Of Power Is Needed

• • China has been conducting ASAT test extensively.
• Experts believe that China has capability to hit the Indian Regional Navigation Spacecraft System (IRNSS), in geosynchronous orbit (GEO).
• Chinese weapons include cyber weapons to attack space assets, co-orbital attack capabilities, as well as  KEWs earth-to-space & air-to-space.
• In light of China’s expertise, India cannot afford to confine itself to passive means of defending against Chinese space assets and infrastructure.

Balance Of Power Is Needed

• • Indian advances in electronic countermeasures or soft kill capabilities have been decent.
  • Experts believe that we have electronic-warfare capabilities, as well as DEWs such as lasers and microwave-based weapons that can help mitigate, if not neutralise, electronic-warfare threats.
  • Caution: It would take the destruction of only four of India’s IRNSS satellites to effectively destroy its offensive capabilities..!!
  • DRDO, in consultation with the ISRO, is are working towards making India’s satellites resilient against electromagnetic pulse (EMP) as well as cyber and DEW, such as high-powered microwaves (HPMs) and high-energy lasers (HELs).

A Path forward

• Experts have suggested that India needs KEW triad to maintain the balance of power.
  • As of 2019, India has demonstrated land-based ASAT capability, but not sea-based and air-launched capabilities.
• Along with the Triad, India need to develop its space-to-space co-orbital capability, which China is close to achieving.
• The ISRO’s budget needs to expand significantly to sustain Space race, to meet the demands of a credible counter-space strategy.
• China is capable of kinetically targeting Indian satellites, and Pakistan is soon likely to join the ranks.  In absence of above measures, India’s space assets face several vulnerabilities.

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