Secure assets in space: CDS
Referring to the growing reliance on outer space to fight wars, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Monday asked the military leadership to secure the assets in space.
General Chauhan was addressing the opening of the three-day ‘war-game’ to study the growing threats to, and also from, space-based assets and services. Called the ‘Antariksha Abhyas – 2024’ and being conducted by the Defence Space Agency, it will conclude on November 13.
The CDS called upon the in military leadership to collaborate with DRDO, ISRO and academia to foster innovation and develop cutting-edge technologies and state-of-the-art systems to protect ‘national interest’ in space.
General Chauhan said space was becoming increasingly congested, contested, competitive and commercial. “Space, once considered the final frontier, is now the critical enabler of India’s defence and security apparatus,” he added.
India, with its legacy of space exploration and growing military capabilities, is well positioned to navigate the challenges posed to space-based capabilities, he added.
Exercise Antariksha Abhyas is expected to help secure national strategic objectives in space and integrate India’s space capability in military operations. It will identify vulnerabilities in the conduct of operations in the event if space services are denied or disrupted by enemy countries. It has participants from the Defence Space Agency, its allied units, and personnel from the security forces.
