Now India can take down its enemies in Space

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Wednesday the successful test of India anti-satellite (ASAT) missile system test. The classified test successfully destroyed a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite. With this test, India has become the 4th nation after US, China, and Russia to have this particular anti-satellite capability.

In 2010, the then DRDO chief and Scientific Advisor to the defence minister, V.K. Saraswat, had asserted that India did have anti-satellite capability. "With the successful testing of Agni-III, we have the propulsion system which can be used to propel a kill vehicle in the orbit. We have the capability required to guide a kill vehicle towards the satellite," Dr. Saraswat had said.

The use of weapons to target space based satellites gained momentum during the 'Cold War' between erstwhile USSR and the US as both countries developed the ASAT to target each other's LEO satellites. In India's neighborhood, China destroyed an unused weather satellite in January 2007. While the moved was strongly condemned by the US, it did signal the beginning of a new 'Space Race' in the world.


China also fired laser weapons at American 'spy' satellites in September 2006, the global media reported, thus confirming the country's 'soft-kill' abilities. A soft-kill ability renders the adversary's space-based asset inconsequential through laser or electronic warfare, while a 'hard-kill' completely destroys enemy satellite using an anti-satellite missile system.

It is in the above context that India's foray in anti-satellite capability should be seen. While India had previously stated that it did have the requisite building blocks for an anti-satellite weapon, today's public announcement by the Prime Minister confirms India's proven weapon capability. “The ASAT missile will give new strength to India's space programme. I assure international community that our capability won't be used against anyone but is purely India's defence initiative for its security,” PM said.