Space Security Index

Space Security 2011
156
2010 Development
Development of ASAT capabilities considered by some countries
In January 2010, the Director-General of India’s Defence Research and Development
Organisation announced that as part of its ballistic missile defense program India is working
on development of lasers and a kill vehicle that could be used to attack satellites in LEO. 83
In the 2010 document released by the Indian Ministry of Defence, Technology Perspective
and Capability Roadmap 2010, 84 India again spelled out its ambition to develop ASAT
technologies. e roadmap specically stated that it would focus on the following areas:
a) EMP hardening of satellite sensors and satellites against anti-satellite weapons.
b) Development of ASATs for electronic or physical destruction of satellites in both LEO
and GSO. 85
India has stated that it expects to achieve an ASAT capability by 2014. 86 Mark Stokes of the
Nonproliferation Policy Education Center believes that India is developing this capability
in response to Chinese ASAT tests, referring to an emerging Indian-Chinese ASAT rivalry. 87
e overarching rationale for increased development of such capabilities is to make Indian
satellites less vulnerable to anti-satellite weaponry developed in the region, according to Air
Chief Marshal P. V. Naik. Such open statements of India’s eorts have encouraged criticism
that this action contradicts statements by Indian political leaders that deny any intent to
pursue space weapons.
After the international conference Space, Science and Security: e Role of Regional Expert
Discussion, held in New Delhi in January 2011, Australian delegate Dr. Brett Biddington
examined India’s motivations for developing ASAT capabilities and the implications for
the subcontinent and for global and regional security balances. He said, “Australia may be
expected to roll any consideration of India’s ASAT achievement and ambitions into a more
general discussion about nuclear stability, non-proliferation and the associated discussion
about missile defense.” Commentators argue that the development of a demonstrable ASAT
by India would raise more questions than answers and should not be undertaken without
serious consideration of related issues.
On 11 January, China conducted a missile defense test of a ground-based midcourse missile
interception technology within its territory. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu
said that “the test is defensive in nature and is not targeted at any country.” 88 At the time, a
spokeswoman for the U.S. military stated that it had detected “two geographically separated
missile launch events with an exo-atmospheric collision also being observed by space-based
sensors.” 89 She added that the U.S. had not been notied prior to the launch, and would be
“requesting information from China regarding the purpose for conducting this interception
as well as China's intentions and plans to pursue future types of intercept.” 90