The Cabinet Committee on Security has given its approval to form the Defence Space Research Agency (DSRA) that will develop specialized weapons for space warfare.

In-Detail:

• The new agency will enhance the war waging capabilities of the armed forces in space.
• It appears that the decision was taken some time ago and the agency is taking shape with a Joint Secretary-level Scientist.
• The agency will have a team of scientists who will work in coordination with the tri-services Defence Staff officers.
• The DSA consists of members of the three services.
• Currently, it is being set up in Bengaluru under an Air Vice Marshal-rank officer.

Why The Need?

• With the Anti Satellite Test (ASAT) in March this year, India had announced to the world its deterrence capabilities against adversaries in the space arena.
• To further the country’s capabilities in developing new technologies and systems that will give an advantage in space wars, the new agency has been set up.
• With countries like the US, China and Russia are advancing their space war capabilities, India should not fall behind.
• Already the United States has formed a US Space Command and is proposing to form the US Space Force, a new armed service.
• India is also readying itself for any eventualities through its first-ever simulated space warfare exercise – IndSpaceEx.

IndSpaceEx

• The exercise involves all stakeholders – the military and the scientific establishment.
• Objectives of the exercise are to understand the challenges, both current and emerging, in the space domain. 
• Also, it will enable India to appreciate its space capabilities and develop new ones as India is wary of counter-space capabilities of China.
• World over, such exercises are not uncommon. Major space-faring nations have regularly conducted such simulation exercises to understand capabilities, identify gaps and then feed them into policymaking.

India’s Space Policy

• India’s Defence Space Policy is still emerging.
• Space domain has been peaceful for India for close to three decades and things are changing now.
• The politics of the country and the competition to dominate the space domain made outer space highly contested had made India to change its stand.
• India is thus developing its counter-space capabilities to deny the adversaries any advantage.
• The counter-space capabilities include kinetic, non-kinetic, cyber and electronic means.
• Also, militaries around the world are emphasising on network centricity where space plays an important role in the form of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR).

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But, more than developing war waging or deterrent capabilities, India has to demonstrate its space governing abilities, generate rules and regulations at the world stage.

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