An important issue related to India’s national security was discussed in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. BJP MP from Odisha, Sujit Kumar, while strongly advocating the formation of an independent Space Force in the House, said that space is no longer just an area of science or research, but has become a strategic domain directly related to the country’s security, economy and military capabilities.
The MP said that today a large part of calls, internet, GPS, banking, surveillance and military operations depend on satellites present in space. If the enemy country commits even a small disturbance in space, it will have a direct impact on the country’s security and order on the ground.
Urged to form a high level committee
Sujit Kumar said in the House that either we wait for the silent attack which will bring our economy to a standstill, or we create such a force in advance that such an attack cannot happen. We need Space Force not to win the war in the stars, but to save us from losing the war on the ground. He urged the government to form a high-level committee on this subject, which would assess the needs of an independent Space Force and Space Warfare Academy and submit its report soon.
Referring to the steps taken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the MP said that the establishment of Defense Space Agency and Defense Space Research Organization in 2019 and the success of anti-satellite missile testing have established India as a strong space power on the global stage. However, he clearly said that in the current situation this is not enough.
China and America already have this capability
- The MP said that America has already formed the Space Force in 2019 and China also has special military capabilities related to space.
- In such a situation, India cannot afford any laxity. He said that the existing Defense Space Agency is definitely a good start, but it is still working in a temporary structure.
- It neither has its own separate cadre, nor complete command nor permanent operational system.
- In the coming years, many new military satellites of India will be deployed in space, which will require a dedicated space force for round-the-clock security and monitoring.
- The MP said that traditional military commands alone cannot handle this challenge and the need of the hour is that India should take concrete steps on the formation of an independent space force as soon as possible.
