India’s Military Embraces Space Domain: IAF Highlights Satellite Dependence for Defence Preparedness | UPSC Current Affairs

India’s Military Embraces Space Domain

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has stressed that the country can no longer do without satellites and space technology as far as military capability is concerned. The new space has evolved from a passive frontier into a critical warfighting domain, as integral to modern warfare as land, sea, air, and cyberspace—providing freedom of action for friendly forces, and freedom from interference, as well as denying the same to adversaries.

Why Space Matters for Defence

Surveillance & Reconnaissance : Military :  Real-time monitoring of enemy troop movement via satellites at the borders.

Communications Backbone: Secure comms through satellite reinforcement of command and control.

Accurate combat: GPS guided weapons ensure precision in targeting.

Disaster Relief and Coordination: It is also used in humanitarian efforts and disaster relief, such as the Haiti and Nepal earthquakes.

India’s Recent Steps

GSAT-7 Series: Referred to as “Rukmini”, boosts Navy communication.

GSAT-7A: It is meant for the Indian Air Force so that it could interlink different ground radar stations, airbases and AWACS aircraft.

Defence Space Agency (DSA) (2019): For “military space warfare”.

Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Test – Mission Shakti (2019): Proved India’s capacity in destroying enemy satellites in space.

Global Context

The US, Russia and China are already pouring public money into Space Command and into antisatellite weapons.

India’s increasing dependence on satellites is considered part of broader international trends in space militarization.

UPSC Relevance

Prelims (GS Paper I)

Mission Shakti, GSAT series, Defence Space Agency.

Logic of satellite orbits (LEO, MEO, GEO).

Mains (GS Paper 3 Security, Science & Tech)

“Describe how the definition of space as a domain in warfare has evolved with time. Emphasise our readiness (on this).

Indigenization in Defence Technology in Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Quick Facts for Prelims

View of IAF Chief: Military preparedness getting more and more intertwined with satellite assets.

India’s Defence Space Agency (2019): HQ – Bengaluru.

Mission Shakti (2019): Made India the 4th ASAT-capable country.

Question (UPSC Prelims 2018)

With reference to the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), consider the following statements:

IRNSS has three satellites in geostationary and four in geosynchronous orbits.

IRNSS covers an area of about 1,500 km around India.

India will have its own satellite navigation system with full global coverage by the middle of 2019.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: b) 1 and 2 only

Explanation

Statement 1 – Correct 

The IRNSS (also called NavIC – Navigation with Indian Constellation) has 7 satellites.

Out of these, 3 are in geostationary orbit (GEO) and 4 are in geosynchronous orbit (GSO).

Statement 2 – Correct

IRNSS provides positioning services in India and up to 1,500 km beyond its borders.

This regional coverage distinguishes it from GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (EU) which are global systems.

Statement 3 – Incorrect

IRNSS is not designed for global coverage. It is regional in nature.

Even in 2019, India had regional coverage only, not global.

Extra Facts (UPSC Value-Addition)

NavIC Applications: Disaster management, marine navigation, agriculture, transport, defence, and fishing community.

NavIC vs GPS: NavIC is more accurate in India (better than 10 meters), while GPS has global reach.

Future Expansion: ISRO has plans to extend NavIC’s coverage and improve accuracy with additional satellites.
UPSC Mains PYQs (Relevant to Space & Defence)

India’s Own Space Station (2019, GS-3):
“What is India’s plan to have its own space station and how will it benefit our space programme?”

UPSC-MAINS-PYQ

India’s Space Achievements (2016, GS-3):
“Discuss India’s achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How has this technology helped India’s socio-economic development?”

UPSC-MAINS-PYQ-Book-2025

Manned vs Unmanned Space Missions (2017, GS-3):
“India has achieved successes in Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter, but not ventured into manned missions. Critically explain.”