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India seeks Star Wars power

The Indian military has begun work on creating a joint command to exploit space for future operations.

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NEW DELHI: The Indian military has begun work on creating a joint command to exploit space for future operations.

An ambitious Indian Space Research Organisation project to develop India’s own satellite-navigation system — a Rs30,000 crore constellation called Gagan — similar to the American GPS (Global Positioning System) would be a critical component of the initiative.

If Gagan is not ready, then the aerospace command will use GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), the Russian constellation in which India is investing substantially as Moscow tries to salvage it from its pitiable state.

If both are unavailable, the command would draw a substantial quantum of resources from Galileo, the European satellite system in which India is investing as well.

“Whichever is available would be used,” a source said, pointing to the inevitability of India following the footsteps of countries such as the US and Russia in creating a dedicated command for aerospace.

Sources said the proposed command would be modelled on the existing Strategic Command that controls India’s nuclear assets.

Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi said there is a consensus among the services that the military exploitation of space should be a tri-service enterprise. In effect, the Indian Air Force’s effort to create its own aerospace command will now be supplanted by a joint programme involving the army and navy too.

The government is yet to ratify the creation of the command, but multiple-level efforts are underway in the military to use space while honouring India’s international commitment not to militarise it.   

 

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