After the successful testing of anti-satellite (ASAT) missile under Mission Shakti, India is now ready to have a space doctrine of its own which would be prepared by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Prime Minister Narendra Narendra Modi has already given a go-ahead to the setting up of this space doctrine which will lay down the procedure for operationalisation of India's new space defense capability. NSA Ajit Doval also heads the Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme at the the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
The space doctrine would also entail the creation of a space command on the lines of Nuclear Command Authority to identify any possible threat to the Indian satellites and activate the ASAT programme for a proper response to such attack, senior officials at DRDO and Union Home Ministry told Hindustan Times.
India's sucessful attempt at strengthening its space weaponry will also need to be effectively stragetised and it remains to be seen whether it will stick to the No First Use (NFU) like in case of its nuclear technology.
"We need to set up offensive/ defensive steps needed in case Indian satellites are destroyed/ degraded or there is access denial by an adversary through electro-magnetic radiation," an official said.
India, which has joined the powerful league of three countries such as United States, Russia and China to use such an anti-satellite missile, is also likely to have a space command of its own for management and operationalisation of A-SAT missiles. Currently, it has a separate strategic forces command and a cyber command.
India acquring the strength of ASAT weapons has made it capable of targetting a satellite by locating and destroying it. In this, way, India can target the enemy country's economy, stock markets, navigation and weather infrastructure using the weapons such as ASAT missilies without even crossing the border to that particular country.
Pakistan and China are wary of the new damage potential that India has acquired. While Pakistan has condemned India's attempt at strengthening its space defense technology by calling it as a militarisation of space, experts say that the newly acquired space prowess by India can also impact its bilateral relations with China.
