Mains Practice Questions

Approach

• Briefly mention about recent Anti-satellite weapon test of India.
• Discuss the reasons for developing Anti-satellite weapon.
• Examine the possibility of an arms race in outer space spurred by ASAT testing.
• Conclude by giving some suggestions.

Introduction

India successfully conducted its first Anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon test as a part of ‘Mission Shakti’ in LowEarth Orbit (LEO). Anti-satellite weapons are space weapons designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic military purposes. The Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Ballistic Missile Defence interceptor was used in India’s ASAT test. The test places India in a select group of countries alongside the US, Russia and China with demonstrated anti-satellite capability.

Body

The development of ASAT weapon is important for strategic military purposes because:

• The ASAT weapon test provides credible deterrence against threats to India’s growing space-based assets from long range missiles.
• ASAT can be used to detect, target and destroy communication or military satellites of enemy countries during the time of war.
• The test also contributed to India’s ability to undertake ballistic missile defence. An ASAT test against a LEO-based satellite demonstrates the ability to intercept longer-range missiles, which fly faster and higher than short-range tactical missiles that generally fly within Earth's atmosphere.
• Absence of such weapons would compromise effective command and control and eliminate space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, thus enabling hostile neighbours like China to crippling India’s military capabilities.
• The test will provide new strengths to India’s security and economic development and social infrastructure.

The possibility of ASAT triggering an arms race:

• The test has sparked apprehensions that weaponization of space is forthcoming and it would trigger a chain-reaction whereby other countries will follow in India's footsteps leading to militarization or weaponization of space by deploying their respective arms in space. Some of these technologies are not prohibitively expensive or too technologically advanced for ‘rogue states’ like North Korea to aspire for. Also,other states like Pakistan which are in perpetual quest for strategic parity with their neighbours may try to emulate such capabilities.
• However, concerns for space arms race instigated by India’s ASAT test are largely misplaced. Countries of the world are aware that space could be a potential zone of conflict in the upcoming future and are preparing themselves for such eventualities. For example– France and the United States are building space forces. India’s ASAT was capacity demonstration exercise which should be seen in the light of changing security dynamics of the world.
• India is a party to many major international treaties related to outer space including The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and none of these were violated during the ASAT testing. India also supports UNGA resolution 69/32 on No First Placement of Weapons in Outer Space and Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) in the Conference on Disarmament.

Conclusion

Thus, though it is comparatively less difficult to examine an issue in depth by a committee of 30 than by an assembly of 700, the issues faced by these Committees limits their scope.