The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully launched the Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Interceptor missile, in an Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) missile test \u2018Mission Shakti\u2019 engaging an Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a \u2018Hit to Kill\u2019 mode from the Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Island, in Odisha, March 27. (PIB)<\/p>\n
India can pat itself on its back for successfully testing <\/span>an anti-satellite<\/span>,<\/span> three-stage interceptor <\/span>(A-Sat) missile<\/span>,<\/span> with the capability to destroy a satellite in space from the A.P.J. Abd<\/span>ul <\/span>Kalam<\/span> Island off <\/span>Odisha<\/span> coas<\/span>t<\/span>, thereby <\/span>gate-<\/span>crashing into the super-<\/span>exclusive club of <\/span>nations \u2013\u00a0<\/span>the U.S., Russia and China,<\/span> who boast of <\/span>having demonstrated <\/span>this deadly capability<\/span>, all on the basis of its indigenous technology<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Israel is the only other country believed to have this capability but has not demonstrated it so far.<\/span><\/p>\n The news of <\/span>the <\/span>brilliant execution of \u201cMission Shakti,\u201d<\/span>\u00a0with <\/span>technological, strategic and political implications<\/span>, as<\/span> announced in a televised address by <\/span>P<\/span>rim<\/span>e Minister <\/span>Narendra<\/span> Modi<\/span>,<\/span> is the fruit of <\/span>two years<\/span> of sheer <\/span>preparation<\/span>, simulation,\u00a0<\/span>and six months of mission mode <\/span>by the <\/span>Defense<\/span> Research and Development Organi<\/span>z<\/span>ation (DRDO) that received the go ahead for the Ballistic Missile <\/span>Defense\u00a0<\/span>(BMD) program <\/span>by the current NDA government <\/span>despite having the <\/span>\u201cbuilding blocks\u201d for A-SAT capability through spin-offs from the over 5,000-km Agni-V strategic missile and the two-tier BMD programs for several years<\/span> as it was on a self<\/span>-imposed moratorium<\/span>, under the Congress-led UPA \u2013 I & II government<\/span>s<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>following <\/span>the <\/span>global <\/span>condemnation of China\u2019s first A-Sat test in 2007.<\/span><\/p>\n But with the 2007 shock New Delhi experienced a <\/span>transformation<\/span> in its ideas on proliferation that eventually<\/span> gave way to a desire to pave way to <\/span>tackle <\/span>threats to <\/span>its<\/span> space assets<\/span> that involved huge resources to develop and place them in space.<\/span><\/p>\n It may therefore be safe <\/span>to conclude that the mission was a well thought out and carefully crafted program and as <\/span>D<\/span>RDO C<\/span>hief <\/span>Satheesh<\/span> Reddy <\/span>reveal<\/span>s with utmost <\/span>pride, <\/span>\u201cT<\/span>he <\/span>BMD<\/span> program <\/span>met <\/span>all technical parameters and objectives<\/span> in LEO or lower atmosphere<\/span>, <\/span>within 300 kilometers <\/span>altitude<\/span> even<\/span> though it can go up to 1,000 km,<\/span> to ensure the space debris decays and falls back to earth,<\/span>\u201d thus allaying concerns of \u201ccreating a mess of waste in space\u201d<\/span> as alleged by some<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Mission Shakti,<\/span> a three stage missile with two solid rocket boosters, was set at a velocity of <\/span>around 10km per second<\/span> on a direct-ascent kinetic kill<\/span>, targeted <\/span>to hit <\/span>Microsat<\/span>-R launched on Jan. 24.<\/span><\/p>\n Strategically<\/span>, this \u201csatellite killer\u201d<\/span> is <\/span>a plus for India<\/span> in its plethora of deterrence and <\/span>defense<\/span> capabilities as it imparts an<\/span> ability<\/span> significantly required in the given circumstances of <\/span>India<\/span> that is not in a benign environment and is<\/span> sandwiched between <\/span>Pakistan, terror-<\/span>e<\/span>xporting state on its w<\/span>est<\/span> and<\/span> China with <\/span>a much advanced ASAT<\/span> and <\/span>sturdy <\/span>programs for kinetic and directed-energy laser weapons<\/span> and <\/span>nano<\/span>-satellites<\/span> in the north and north-east, and the <\/span>U.S.<\/span> under <\/span>the <\/span>Tr<\/span>ump administration w<\/span>ithdrawing from the world, rather <\/span>\u201cleading from behind\u201d<\/span>,<\/span>and <\/span>hence posing the immediacy of transition of powers more so in Asia<\/span> and outside<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n Emphasizing on the <\/span>reasons for India embarking on this<\/span> space program<\/span> Modi\u00a0<\/span>asserted, \u201cToday, we are using space and satellites for all sorts of purposes, including agriculture, <\/span>defense<\/span>, disaster management, communication, entertainment, weather, navigation, education, medical uses, and other things. In such a situation, the security of these satellites is extremely important.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Besides, the technology enables<\/span> \u201c<\/span>neutrali<\/span>z<\/span>ing<\/span> surveillance, communication, navigation and other military satellites during a conflict to render enemy forces deaf and blind as well as disrupt their precision-targeting capabilities<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>March 27<\/span>\u00a0launch<\/span> and the PM\u2019s televised address that <\/span>were timed <\/span>barely<\/span> a fortnight before the <\/span>nation holds its first phas<\/span>e of elections to the <\/span>Lok<\/span> Sabha<\/span> ha<\/span>ve\u00a0<\/span>brewed <\/span>sufficient <\/span>controversy with the opposition ru<\/span>ing that the ruling party was flouting the model code of conduct of elections by embarking on programs that would <\/span>buttress the tough as nail image of the incumbent PM <\/span>to win votes.<\/span><\/p>\n Earlier in the month t<\/span>he national security image of BJP <\/span>had been upped by several notches when it conducted air strikes <\/span>on a <\/span>Jaish<\/span>-e-<\/span>Muhammed<\/span> terror camp in <\/span>Balakot<\/span> in Pakistan<\/span> in the aftermath of the <\/span>Pulwama<\/span> attack<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Lauding the PM, his party persons and <\/span>supporters<\/span> present the perspective of salience of space program to India and the need of the hour of an authority of the level of the PM to assure the world <\/span>community on <\/span>India\u2019s mission <\/span>being<\/span> peaceful <\/span>in nature, <\/span>defense<\/span> and civilian<\/span> oriented and not in violation of <\/span>international commitments<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Stressing on this point <\/span>Modi<\/span> had reiterated, \u201c<\/span>Our aim is to maintain peace over war mongering. The space program\u2019s aim is peace, India\u2019s economic and technological progress.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Regardless of which political dispensation is favored by this successful test and the timing of<\/span> its launch <\/span>it remains without doubt that India<\/span> as a nation has benefitted by demonstrating a program that holds<\/span> deterrence, strateg<\/span>ic, <\/span>and <\/span>technological value.<\/span><\/p>\n Another point that demands attention is that India\u2019s surprise demonstration of th<\/span>e A-SAT ability <\/span>has enabled it to gatecrash <\/span>the <\/span>space club before<\/span> the<\/span> countries<\/span> that had fulfilled their requirements<\/span> tightened rules of entry similar to the time<\/span>s<\/span> when doors were shut on new entrants by the <\/span>Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, violation of which <\/span>earn<\/span>ed<\/span> the newbie the status of a pariah.<\/span><\/p>\n But now with <\/span>India\u2019s test <\/span>that <\/span>stands to directly <\/span>challenge to Beijing\u2019s <\/span>might<\/span> that amounts to more than 250 satellites<\/span>