India’s Defence Space Agency: The Advanced Warfare

Space

Introduction : 

After conducting a successful test of  ASAT (Anti-Satellite) in March 2019, the Indian Government announced to set-up a new agency called the Defence Space Agency (DSA).

This agency will be comprised of members from all armed forces that is Indian Army (IA), Indian AirForce (IAF) and Indian Navy (IN).

Also to support this new agency DSA, a new research organisation known as DSRO (Defence Space Research Organisation) will set-up.

This marks the beginning of a new journey of India into Space Warfare.

Space

Background :

In July 2011 NSA Shivshankar Menon set up a task force known as Naresh Chandra Task Force. It was set up to review the recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee and also to supervise implementation progress and also suggest new reforms.

The Task Force comprised of 14 members including Naresh Chandra, retired Indian Administrative Service officer, Gopalaswami Parthasarathy, Air Chief Marshal Srinivasapuram Krishnaswamy (Retd), Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd), Lt Gen V. R. Raghavan (Retd), Anil Kakodkar, K C Verma and V K Duggal and others.

The Committee reviewed the national security since the Kargil Review Committee and the classified report was summited to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 23 May 2012.

In the Report the Task Force recommended the creation of 

•  Cyber Command,
•  Aerospace Command,
•  Special operation Command.

And all of these Commands were proposed to be in TRI-SERVICE COMMAND.

DSA is the implementation of this proposal.

The creation of the Defence Space Agency (DSA) was approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28 September 2018.

The Defence Imagery Processing and Analysis Centre in Delhi and the Defence Satellite Control Centre in Bhopal were merged in the DSA.

Space

Role : 

The exact Role of DSA is not clear however it can only be speculated which could simply involve 

• Monitoring and tracking of satellites and India’s own space assets.
• Handling Surveillance. 
• Shadowing the adversary’s assets.
• Carrying out offensive cyber operations.
• Commanding and Controlling India’s ASAT and offensive space capabilities.

For India to use its strategic objectives in Space, DSA must be clearly defined its role as an independent body in National Security.