SOURCE: AFI
India has taken a significant stride in bolstering its space defense capabilities by conducting its first comprehensive space defense exercise, Antariksha Abhyas 2024, held from November 11 to 13, 2024. This landmark exercise, spearheaded by the Defence Space Agency (DSA), aimed to simulate and counter evolving threats to space-based assets, which are crucial to national security.
Antariksha Abhyas 2024 marked an important milestone in India’s defense strategy. It was designed to strengthen the integration and coordination of India’s tri-services—Army, Navy, and Air Force—while aligning strategic space assets with operational frameworks. The exercise not only tested the nation’s preparedness to withstand disruptions or denials of service to space infrastructure but also offered valuable insights for future military doctrines and policy frameworks dedicated to space security.
The concept of space warfare is at the core of such initiatives. It revolves around utilizing space-based technologies and assets for military purposes, aiming to secure strategic advantages through control of the space domain. Modern space warfare includes protecting infrastructure such as satellites and communication systems, as well as offensive capabilities like disabling or destroying adversarial space assets. This involves advanced techniques such as anti-satellite weapons (ASAT), orbital warfare tactics, space-based reconnaissance, and cyber warfare targeting satellite systems.
India joins a league of nations actively preparing for the militarization of space, a domain increasingly seen as the next frontier in defense strategy. Countries such as the United States, China, and Russia have already established specialized space forces and heavily invested in space defense capabilities. For India, Antariksha Abhyas 2024 is not just a drill but a crucial step towards safeguarding its space-based infrastructure, which underpins critical communication, navigation, and surveillance systems vital for conventional and unconventional military operations.
The growing significance of space in national security and defense underscores the need for dedicated forces capable of navigating and defending this domain. With Antariksha Abhyas 2024, India has taken a decisive step towards building its own Space Force, setting the stage for enhanced readiness and resilience in a future where the space domain will be as critical as air, land, and sea.