India to launch a defense-based space research agency

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — In a move to bolster India's space warfare capabilities, the ruling National Democratic Alliance government has approved the creation of the Defence Space Research Organisation.

DSRO will provide technical and research support to its parent organization, the Defence Space Agency.

Last week, India's Cabinet Committee on Security, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the creation of DSRO to also develop space warfare systems and associated technology, according to a Ministry of Defence official.

DSRO will be headed by a senior defense scientist who will lead a team of other scientists. The agency is expected to be operational by the end of this year.

The organization is also charged with finding and implementing defense applications for India's entire spectrum of space technologies.

In April, the government established the Defence Space Agency, or DSA, to command the space assets of the Army, Navy and Air Force, including the military's anti-satellite capability. The agency is also to formulate a strategy to protect India's interests in space, including addressing space-based threats.

The MoD official noted that the creation of the two agencies is aimed at developing a multidimensional approach to using outer space for strategic purposes.

The DSA will be headed by an Air Force vice marshal and will have a staff of 200 personnel from three wings of the armed forces, according to another MoD official.

In addition, the DSA will seek input on space as a domain of warfare from the Indian Space Research Organisation and the Defence Research and Development Organization.

India's existing military space agencies — including the Defence Imagery Processing and Analysis Centre, located in New Delhi, and the Defence Satellite Control Centre, located in Bhopal — will be merged with DSA.

In March, India also conducted an anti-satellite test, which demonstrated its capability to shoot down satellites in space.

https://www.defensenews.com/space/2019/06/12/india-to-launch-a-defense-based-space-research-agency/