INDIA NO MORE APOLOGETIC ABOUT ASAT TEST
BY
Colonel Awadhesh Kumar, Special Forces
A Congress loudmouth is generally not worth a glance but when the loud mouth is a lawyer writing a sort of a coherent article to degrade India once again,then you do have to read it, at least cursorily so that he can be imparted some bit of National Pride.
On March 27, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a routine address to the nation, casually announced that India had deployed an anti-satellite kinetic kill vehicle to neutralise a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite at an altitude of 300 kilometres.
The announcement had a dramatic effect on the rest of the World, even while the Indian public was trying to understand the statement. The world knew that now India had arrived totally. Those Indians who understood the meaning were jubilant. Though a miniscule number were red in the face and at once commenced whimpering on the subject.
The satellite in question was the Microsat-R. It was launched on January 24, 2019. The Microsat-R weighs 740 kg and was in a 268-km-by-289-km orbit. Microsat-R is an small Indian satellite built for the Indian military by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), likely as a target satellite for A-Sat testing. It was built by DRDO laboratories and not by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The satellite was destroyed in an A-Sat test on March 27, 2019.
The fact that the test was conducted slam bang in the middle of an election was like a RED RAG to the various political parties, hell bent in opposing and beating Modi in the race to the parliament. The Prime Minister choosing to address the nation has raised the hackle of these parties because they always have put Security matters on back burner, one of the reasons for India not attaining its rightful position in the World Peking order.
As an aside, in the minutes leading up to the Prime Minister’s address there was tittering on social media by SMARTHOLES asking whether they should run to the bank or the bunker. The political affiliation of such people is not worth mentioning. The references were obviously to the announcement with respect to demonetisation proclamation by the Prime Minister on November 8, 2016, the surgical strike one and the recent Balakote Air Strike.
It is important to put the A-Sat test in perspective. India started developing a ballistic missile defence capacity 20 years ago – in 1999. In 2011, India tested its interception capability by neutralising an incoming missile at an altitude of 16 km. However the Government of the day put every thing on the back burner, dancing to some hidden tunes. However priority was accorded to the Project after 2014 and the results have arrived.
However what gets your goat as an Indian that some political will never learn. Instead of appreciating or even rejoicing, a despicable has come up with the “deeper issues of space theology” As per him by carrying out the test, India has reversed its position with regard to militarisation and weaponisation of outer space……..a protocol signed in haste by unthinking and uncaring and not even ratified by the Indian Parliament.
The chap quotes a Indian Scientist V.K. Saraswat, head of DRDO, who in 2012, had talked about his diffidence, if not aversion, to an anti-satellite test, saying: “We will not do a physical test destruction of a satellite because of the risk of space debris affecting other satellites.” The clever by half lawyer, should know that DRDO head is just a Scientist and not the Military Advisor to the Cabinet. Matters military are planned by the military and in this India will not play second fiddle to other nations.
Now the fact is that the same Saraswat has stated that the previous UPA government did not accord permission to carry out the test, thus clearly nailing the Liars on this subject. This lawyer will go to any extent and thus even quotes a former national security adviser, Shiv Shankar Menon, who it seems has a huge ego to publicly contradicted Mr Saraswat. This former NSA with bloated ego says “This is the first I have ever heard of it. Saraswat never asked me for permission for an A-Sat test.” As if NSA is the super Chief of Defence Staff, on whose “ military advice “, the Indian Cabinet will request him to order DRDO as he pleases.
India’s policy towards outer space is clear as we decided not to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996, or separate our civil and military nuclear programmes, as a condition precedent to the Indo-US nuclear deal. India has to go down the same path as the United States, China and Russia with regard to engaging and neutralisation of space assets by carrying out at least one demonstrable test or action to the whole world. This is a question that India has finally decided. We are peace loving but We will not feel shy to defend our National Interest any more. US and China have piloted tests of anti-satellite systems against live targets in the recent past and so will India …..period.
In 2007, China neutralised a satellite at an altitude of over 800 km in low earth orbit. The test generated more than 2,000 pieces of debris, hundreds of which will remain in orbit for years to come. USA in fact has created over 20000 debris.So they need not pontificate on the subject.
In 2008, the US validated an anti-satellite competence when a US Navy Ticonderoga-class cruiser, USS Lake Erie, launched a Standard Missile-3 interceptor. The test revealed the similarities between ballistic missile defence interception technologies and those required to destroy satellites. Russia is evolving a new anti-satellite system known as the PL19, or Nudol. That weapon is yet to be verified against a live satellite target.
Even if the A-Sat test carried out by India go against the grain of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, so what, who were the fools to sign that kind of treaty ? An article of the treaty states: “The States Parties to this Treaty… Recognising the common interests of all humankind in the progress of the exploration and use of outer space, agree to the following: State Parties to the Treaty shall carry on activities in the exploration of space and use of outer space… in the interest of maintaining international peace and security.” Well now we walk out of the asymmetrical treaty, though we will not conduct any additional unnecessary tests.
The US, former Soviet Union and China have been the original offenders in this regard and in that order. We are now happy to join their ranks and are not apologetic about it any more to any one.
