CDS Gen. Anil Chauhan calls for greater collaboration to augment space-based defence capabilities in India

New Delhi — Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. Anil Chauhan on Tuesday emphasised the need for developing dual-use platforms with a special focus towards incorporating cutting-edge technology at the ‘Indian DefSpace Symposium 2023’ organised by Indian Space Association (ISpA) in collaboration with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to boost the collaboration between the Indian space and defence sectors.

Gen. Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces shares inaugural address at ISpA Indian DefSpace Symposium 2023

“Today’s symposium will assist all of us to center our national security, while identifying possible solutions to address future challenges. The aim for all of us should be towards developing dual-use platforms with a special focus towards incorporating cutting-edge technology and we must expand our NAVIC constellation, provide agile space-based ISR and ensure secure satellite-assisted communications. We also need to explore the field of miniaturization of satellites and reusable launch platforms to mitigate costs and challenges and accelerate the pace of augmenting our space-based capabilities. The populating of space domain and the emergence of dynamic threat environment to our space assets also demand that we enhance our space situational awareness capability. There’s also a requirement to safeguard our assets with counter space capabilities. We must build resilience and redundancy in a space-based infrastructure,” said CDS Gen. Anil Chauhan.

“We at DRDO have started increasing our focus on the very critical space domain with a focus on space-based surveillance, space situational awareness, and protecting our space-based assets. We are now looking at working very closely with industry as well as academia right from the development stage and have started DRDO industry-academia centres of excellence in about 15 institutions mostly within the country. We request academia, startups, MSMEs and larger companies to work with us closely so we can help our country achieve these capabilities much faster than what we have been able to do for all other systems,” said DRDO Chairman Dr. Samir V Kamat.

CDS Gen. Anil Chauhan was the chief guest at the inaugural programme which was also attended by DRDO Chairman Dr. Samir V Kamat, Air Vice Marshal DV Khot, DG DSA, HQ IDS;  Air Marshal BR Krishna (Retd.) Former-CISC, HQ IDS of the Indian Armed Forces and other dignitaries from across the ministries, defence and space industry.

The programme also saw a session where experts from the defence and technology sectors analysed China’s military capabilities, including its space-based assets, and how they are affecting balance of power in the region.

Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt(Retd.), DG, ISpA addressing the ISpA Indian DefSpace Symposium 2023

“The symposium will pave the way forward of how we leverage international space cooperation and also the policy and strategy for building an overall comprehensive difference space strategy. I would like to thank the Chief of Defence Staff and Chairman DRDO. Their presence underlines the importance of this growing domain of warfare where I assure you that the industry is ready to contribute and play its part in this national endeavour,” said Indian Space Association Director General Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (Retd.).

The Indian Space Symposium is the first of its kind event focused on creating a platform for all stakeholders who have a keen interest in boosting India’s military space capability and plans. The platform aims to bring together experts from multiple domains to discuss the latest trends and challenges in the field of defence, making it an excellent networking opportunity for attendees from the defence, DRDO, and government sectors, as well as industry professionals. It also looks forward to developing a Defence Space Strategy in line with the National Space Strategy.