India set to bring out military space doctrine soon, says CDS

India is set to bring out a military space doctrine soon, with the domain emerging as one that will dominate future warfare, chief of defence staff General Anil Chauhan said on Monday, at a time when China is expanding its capabilities at a ripping pace and can potentially disable or knock out satellites.

He said the Defence Space Agency (DSA), a part of HQ Integrated Defence Staff, is likely to bring out the doctrine “in two to three months”, adding that the country must sharpen its focus on “Earth’s orbital space, boosting military capabilities and protecting these assets from threats”.

“We are also working on a national military space policy,” said Chauhan, who was speaking at the third edition of the Indian DefSpace Symposium 2025, a three-day event that began at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

The initiatives are part of the government’s efforts to protect its space-based assets and bolster military capabilities to take on new challenges. China is known to possess capabilities to disrupt satellite signals using jammers as well as other anti-satellite technologies.

“Space is emerging as a new domain that will dominate warfare. We need to develop a culture that fosters new ideas and capabilities in space warfare. This culture is about seminal research, original doctrines, and strategies for space. It’s not just about creating startups but about institutions and societies that ideate space warfare,” the CDS said, calling for positioning India as a global space power.

The Indian DefSpace Symposium is organised by Indian Space Association (ISpA) to identify the latest trends, opportunities and challenges in the defence and space sectors. The topics discussed on the inaugural day included Space Threat Analysis: Adversaries’ Capabilities and Emerging Geopolitical Risks, Communications: Building Secure and Resilient Defence Networks, and Beyond the Horizon: Leveraging Space-Based ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) for Multi-Domain Operations.

“Initiatives like the launch of satellites for ISR in partnership with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) and the private industry are underway,” Chauhan said.

Last November, the DSA conducted Antariksha Abhyas – 2024, a three-day exercise to war-game the growing threats from and to space-based assets. The exercise is expected to help secure national strategic objectives in space and integrate India’s space capability in military operations, the defence ministry said at the time.

ISpA chairman Jayant Patil said India’s space sector is at an inflection point, and the defence industry is playing a pivotal role in shaping its future.

“With the government’s push for 52 dedicated military satellites and increasing private participation; we are building a secure, Atmanirbhar space ecosystem that’s ready to meet strategic challenges head-on. The Indian industry has already delivered technologies like surveillance and communication satellites, jammers, and tracking radars... Going forward, collaboration between public and private sectors will be key to accelerating innovation and enhancing national security through space,” Patil said.

Former Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari (retd), said, “With satellites shrinking in size but growing in capability, we’re witnessing a strategic shift from large satellites to proliferated, resilient constellations across multiple orbits. In today’s complex and contested space environment, where the line between civilian and military use is blurring, resilience, collaboration, and innovation are no longer optional --- they are imperative.”