Context: CDS General Anil Chauhan has urged the space industry to work on counter-space capabilities.
Chief of Defence Staff
- The office of Chief of Defence Staff was created in 2019 for bringing about greater synergy and integration among three armed forces – The Army, The Navy and The Air Force.
- CDS has been envisioned to enhance the quality of military advice to political leadership through integration of service inputs.
- Four star Late General Bipin Rawat was appointed as the first CDS of India on 31st December, 2019. Currently, General Anil Chauhan has been appointed as the CDS of India.
- NOTE: Kargil review committee headed by K. Subrahmanya, 1999 had recommended for creation of the post of chief of defence staff.
Qualification:
- Serving or retired chiefs (four star officers) and three-star officers of Army, Navy or Air Force.
- The person appointed should be less than 62 years of age.
- Central government can extend the service tenure of CDS subject to maximum age limit of 65 years.
Important Functions
- Principal Military Advisor to the Union Defence Minister on all Tri-Services matters.
- Will not exercise any military command, including over the three Service Chiefs
- Act as the secretary of Department of Military Affairs
- Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
- Will command Tri-service agencies related to Cyber and Space
- Will be member of Defence Acquisition Council
- Military Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority
- Note: CDS is not superior to chief of armed forces in terms of rank and does not enjoy any military command powers.
Department of Military Affairs
A new Department of Military Affairs was created by making amendments in the Allocation of Business Rules.
Mandate
- India’s Armed Force.
- Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence comprising of Army Headquarters, Naval Headquarters, Air Headquarters and Defence Staff Headquarters
- Territorial Army
- Procurement exclusive to the Services except capital acquisitions,
- Promoting jointness in procurement, training and staffing
- Facilitation of restructuring of Military Commands
- Promoting use of indigenous equipment by the Services
Present situation of India’s space sector:
- Indian space economy is currently estimated to be around $8.4 bn, which is expected to grow to $44 bn by 2033.
- From just 1 start up in space sector in 2012, it has grown to 189 start-ups in 2023. The funding received by these start-ups reached a total of $124.7 million in 2023 from $67.2 million in 2021.
Growth drivers of space sector in India:
Security challenges in the space sector:
- Cyberspace threats: With sophisticated knowledge of satellite and data distribution networks, actors can use offensive cyberspace capabilities to enable a large range of reversible and non-reversible attack on space systems.
- Direct Energy Weapons: Laser techniques can be used to carry out high energy driven direct attacks on space assets.
- Electronic Warfare: Jamming and spoofing techniques can be used to obstruct and hamper the functioning of space communication systems.
- Kinetic Energy threats: Anti-satellite missiles are designed to destroy the satellites without placing the weapon or any of its component in orbit of space.
- Orbital Threat: These are basically the satellites or systems that can deliver temporary or permanent effects against other spacecraft. Ex: kinetic kill vehicles, radiofrequency jammers, chemical sprayers, etc.
- Rising space debris: As per ESA’s space Environment Report, 2022, over 30,000 pieces of space debris have been recorded. In this regard, the Kessler syndrome has highlighted the growing threats of space debris.
Steps taken by India in space security:
- Institutional: Creation of Defence Space Agency as a tri-service agency to work for development of systems to expand India’s defensive and offensive capabilities in space.
- Operational: Creation of the post CDS as a military advisor on tri-service matters to develop and foster greater expertise in defence matters for better and more informed decision making.
- Capability enhancement: Anti-satellite weapon tests by the name of Mission Shakti was successfully conducted by India, becoming the fourth country to do so.
- Defence space domain in India
