Space is becoming the forefront of technology-driven warfare. For a country like India, with significant geopolitical influence and the potential to become a major power, facing threats from space is inevitable and cannot be addressed by conventional means. Therefore, it is crucial to consider whether India needs to develop a space force capable of engaging in space wars.
The Gulf War I is technically regarded as the first space war, where the US utilized space satellite intelligence for aerial and ground operations in Kuwait and Iraq. Satellite navigation systems were vital for US Air Force fighter jets. Today, space capabilities are prominent in conflicts such as the Russian-Ukraine war and the Hamas battlescapes, and Taiwan is increasingly under the space surveillance of competing powers. Space satellites played crucial roles even before these wars began.
In 2019, India established the Defence Space Agency as a scaled-down version of a space command, with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) providing technical and R&D support. Over the past five years, space has emerged as a major concern, primarily due to threats from long-range ballistic and hypersonic missiles. Direct Ascent Anti-Satellites (ASAT) experimental missile strikes have been tested, including India’s Mission Shakti. Both offensive and defensive space warfare missions are being developed. Despite the Outer Space Treaty prohibiting the weaponization of space, the threat from space is evident.
Major powers such as the US, Russia, China, India, France, the European Union, and Japan are developing space military organizations. The US Space Force, headquartered at the Pentagon, organizes, trains, and equips personnel to protect US and allied interests in space and provide space capabilities to joint forces. It employs 8,600 military personnel and 77 spacecraft.
Russian space forces are responsible for informing political and military leaders of missile attacks, ballistic missile defense, and managing in-orbit space vehicles like the Persona reconnaissance satellite. These forces also operate the GLONASS global positioning system.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLA-SSF) existed from 2015 to 2024, focusing on fighting “informatised conflicts.” In April 2024, it was divided into the PLA Aerospace Force, PLA Cyberspace Force, and PLA Information Support Force. Like China, Russia views space as a warfighting domain and bases its doctrine on achieving space supremacy as a prerequisite for winning conflicts.
China and Russia have developed ground-based jamming systems capable of disrupting satellite communications, GPS signals, radars, and other satellite systems. These non-kinetic threats can prevent users from accessing satellite networks and disrupt vital missile warning data and command and control systems.
In past space-based wars, such as the Gulf Wars, satellites enabled precision attacks and provided commanders with unprecedented views of the battlespace. Elements of ‘stand-off’ wars, which include space and cyber domains, are also moving into the hands of private space operators. A ‘space force’ would primarily support conventional forces and provide a space shield against direct threats like hypersonic or ballistic missiles.
India, as a spacefaring nation, must develop a comprehensive space warfighting doctrine and an inter-service space force to respond to space threats and support ground, maritime, and air operations. The space force should: – Develop Space Domain Awareness (SDA) to identify and mitigate space threats. – Build resilient and military-grade communication, ISR, and PNT capabilities. – Optimize the electromagnetic spectrum for space warfare. – Maintain operational readiness and generate intelligence for early warnings. – Foster international space collaborations for regional and global coverage. – Train and equip a skilled space force to support military operations and participate in R&D. – Manage and maintain space assets and infrastructure. – Undertake incremental space and technological development for space dominance.
Personnel for the space force should be permanently seconded from space and scientific institutions to ensure continuity and expertise.
**Lt Gen (Dr) PJS Pannu, a former Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, emphasizes the importance of India’s strategic development in space warfare to secure its national interests and maintain global relevance.**
