With the country’s military space programme still squarely on the drawing board and plans for a dedicated Aerospace Command in limbo, Beijing’s successful test last week of an anti-satellite weapon system has come as just another reminder to the defence establishment of China’s rapid and unabated capability build-up, with waves of implication for the region.

The Chinese weapon system, comprising a medium-range ballistic missile, is reported to have destroyed an old Chinese meteorological satellite on January 12. In 2002, DRDO revealed that it was working with ISRO to build a military satellite for the Indian armed forces, though despite persistent demand, the services are still a while away from being given a satellite exclusively for military application.

A senior missile scientist at DRDO said the Chinese test would be studied as best it could, but that it added yet another paradigm to the strategic battlespace. He indicated that India has no immediate plans to enter the anti-satellite weapon sphere, and was instead pooling resources to build a long-range cruise vehicle, a submarine-launched ballistic missile system and a medium-range surface to air missile with Israel.

“If the reports of the test are accurate, then there is already a paradigm shift in the capability gap. With this, space assets of countries are susceptible to ground attack from such a system. Obviously, the US and Russia will take it as an aggressive move. We have to study it closely to see what technology they have used. What this means is that the electromagnetic spectrum, which will dictate future war since it facilitates communication and other mission-critical processes through remote-sensing and communications satellites, will be under direct threat” he said.

... contd.