With military operations spanning and expanding beyond the terrestrial battlefield, space has become a vital domain of national security. India, which has warmed up to the importance of space in new-age warfare, is hurrying its pace in developing satellite-based defence mechanisms. Satellite power An expedited rise to its status as a space military power would have been the result.” India’s military readiness is increasingly reliant upon satellite warfare, which offers significant gains in communication, surveillance, navigation, and early-warning vectors. This article further discusses the current and forthcoming efforts that India is undertaking to develop its comprehensive space warfare capabilities in the future, including beyond 2025.
Strategic Context: The Militarisation of Space
The 21st century has seen the weaponisation of space develop into a central plank of military doctrine. The likes of the US, Russia, and China have shown sophisticated ASAT weapons and orbital manoeuvres or space-based intelligence systems. India confronts an increasingly complex threat, especially with China’s expanding military space capabilities and ASAT weapons that could threaten India’s communication, navigation and reconnaissance satellites in a crisis.
In turn, India has pursued a end-to-end strategy of indigenous technology development, strategic partnerships and doctrinal evolution to protect its assets and also demonstrate space power.
India’s Defence Space Agency and Integrated Space Architecture
The main institutional player is the Defence Space Agency (DSA), which was formed in 2018 as the nodal agency for all military space activities. The DSA brings together satellite intelligence, space situational awareness and space-based surveillance systems from across the armies, navies, and air forces of the country to establish a joint-space warfare command.
India’s efforts centre around integrating the Defence imagery and satellite control centers and improving communication between ground stations sent into orbit. This fusion allows near real-life intelligence to support tactical and strategic decision making.
The Space-Based Surveillance (SBS) Programme
India’s futuristic plans to develop space-based military capacities now take shape in the third phase of the Space-Based Surveillance programme (SBS-3) – a ₹26,968-crore venture sanctioned by the Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security. The SBS-3 initiative plans to send 52 dedicated defence satellites into space by 2029, with the first beyond scheduled for launch in April 2026.
This constellation of satellites will enable 24X7 surveillance of India’s borders with China and Pakistan, as well as the Indian Ocean Region, further strengthening early warning and tracking of aerial and missile threats deep insiders adversary territory. The programme combines a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) with geostationary satellites, fast revisit times and high resolution imagery.
Indigenous Capability and Private Sector Involvement
India’s military space buildup is heavily laced with indigenous innovation. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is building 21 of the SITU-Satellites under SBS programme, with private Indian companies building another 31, Accelerating India’s space industry ecosystem.
ISRO’s achievement with satellite docking and orbital maneuver capabilities—exemplified by the SPADEX mission for autonomous twin-satellite rendezvous — mirrors India’s increasing technical prowess in space operations vital to satellite servicing and anticipated future forms of space combat.
Complementary Technologies: Over-the-Horizon Radars and Directed Energy Weapons
Apart from satellite constellations, India is putting in place complementary technologies like Over-the-Horizon (OTH) radars and Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs). Mission Sudarshan Chakra intends to bring together thousands of radars, satellites and laser based directed energy weapons for a layered defence system.
This layered architecture would improve surveillance of space, verify distant hostile satellites/ missiles and furthering rapid interception capacity to safeguard Indian strategic terrestrial and celestial assets.
Strategic Partnerships and International Cooperation
India is stepping up cooperation with other countries to enhance its space defence capabilities. Engagements with countries such as the United States, France and those part of the Quad framework are making technology transfers, joint exercises and collaborative space situational awareness a possibility to address these common threats. These partnerships augment India’s capacity to address the new space challenges in a world that is border-less as far as space use and state behavior in science are concerned.
Challenges and Future Outlook
India has rushed its space warfare preparations, but there are challenges. Building a credible deterrence also depends on long-term investments in next-generation technology such as advanced sensors, electronic warfare countermeasures, AI-enabled threat analysis and satellite resiliency.
The environmental and regulatory challenges of space operations essentially require the development of doctrines. Additionally, the threat of space debris and responsible conduct in outer space will play into India’s long-term strategic calculus.
Going forward, the Indian road map includes a sustained satellite programme, widening of space-based missile-defence capabilities and eventually, autonomous space combat systems. The combination of assets in the space environment with those of terrestrial and cyber will characterize India’s future military doctrine.
Conclusion
India’s satellite and space-based weaponization planning represent an imperative rethink on strategic front, amid growing “militarisation of space” across the globe. Through creating an anti-fragile satellite constellation, improving space-based situational awareness and incorporating technologies such as DEWs and OTH radars, India is building towards a dominant space power. These moves give India the strategic depth and an ability to project beyond its land frontiers, ushering in a new era of Indian defence doctrine.