NEW DELHI: The Integrated Defence Headquarters (IDH) is to host a first-of-its-kind space warfare exercise on July 25 and 26 in Delhi as India takes another step to safeguard its space assets and prepares for potential wars in space. The exercise will bring together representatives from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), academia, various domain experts and representatives from the three services- Army, Navy and Air Force.
It was only in June that the government gave the go-ahead for a new agency to develop sophisticated weapon systems and technologies in order to enhance India’s capabilities to fight wars in space. The Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had cleared the setting up of the new agency, called the Defence Space Research Agency. As per defence ministry sources, this agency has been entrusted with the task of creating space warfare weapon systems and technologies.
The new agency is to support the tri-services (Army, Navy and Air Force) monitored Defence Space Agency, which was created to help the country fight wars in space. It is likely to command all space assets, including A-SAT capability.
India had in March successfully carried out an anti-satellite (A-SAT) test, which demonstrated its capability to shoot down satellites in space. India has had a Military Space Cell since 2008. It is a tri-service organisation under the aegis of the Integrated Defence Services.