The latest updates highlight India's push for counter-space capabilities, driven by lessons from the 1999 Kargil War and escalating threats from China and Pakistan. With strength as the ultimate guarantee of peace and prosperity, ISRO's military integration underscores India's ascent as a space power.
The journey began post-Kargil, when Pakistan's infiltration exposed critical vulnerabilities. India requested GPS access from the US, only to be denied, prolonging the conflict and costing lives. This "intelligence failure"—revealed by a local shepherd rather than satellites—prompted the Kargil Review Committee.
Recommendations included dedicated satellite surveillance, image analysis from a defense perspective, and tri-service operational synergy. By 2011, National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon formed the Naresh Chandra Task Force, advocating a dedicated Space Command alongside Cyber Command.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greenlit this in 2018 during a Jodhpur tri-services meeting. The result: the Defence Space Agency (DSA) in Bengaluru, coordinating space operations with officers from Army, Navy, and Air Force. Complementing it is the Defence Space Research Agency (DSRA), focusing on R&D for cutting-edge weapons. Key pillars include the Defence Imagery Processing Analysis Center (DIPAC) in Delhi for regular satellite imagery processing and the Defence Satellite Control Center in Bhopal.
ISRO's defense role extends to navigation via the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), precision-guided missiles, terrain mapping, and command-control. India's 2019 Mission Shakti demonstrated anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities, joining an elite club with the US, Russia, and China (which tested in 2007). This deters adversaries; mutual destruction ensures satellite safety.
Counter-space strategies fall into four categories: Kinetic Physical (ballistic missiles, co-orbital explosions, ground station strikes); Non-Kinetic Physical (lasers to blind satellites, as China did to US in 2006); Electronic (jamming signals); and Cyber (hacking data). These enhance India's hybrid warfare readiness, integrating space with cyber and biotech threats.
Commercially, ISRO's Antrix Corporation has launched over 350 satellites for foreign nations, leveraging cost-effectiveness. Diplomatically, the South Asian Satellite (formerly SAARC, excluding Pakistan) offers free services to neighbors, boosting soft power. Quad nations—India, US, Japan, Australia—eye collaborative satellites to counter China, amid US warnings of Russia's potential space-based nuclear weapons.
Challenges persist: China boasts 10 times more defense satellites. India must scale numbers, capabilities, and rapid replacement—ISRO's strength in affordable, timely launches. Recent developments, including Quad talks and DSRA advancements, signal proactive steps.
As geopolitical tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific, ISRO's dual civilian-military role cements India's strategic autonomy. From Chandrayaan to Gaganyaan, space tech symbolizes modernity and power. Proud of ISRO? This evolution ensures peace through strength, positioning India at the high table of global space affairs.
