Mission Shakti - Forget Pakistan, India's Anti-Satellite Weapons test Star Wars moment is a reply to this nation
India's Mission Shakti,has turned out to be a tremendous positive. It has given India the ability to destroy a low earth orbit satellite. This event has made India the fourth country to declare itself as a space power, after China, Russia and the United States. Developing India's own anti-satellite (A-SAT) capabilities gained traction post China's A-SAT weapons tests. Defense experts, including high ranking military officials advocated a rethink of India's space programme and augmentation of A-SAT weapons after China acquired this capability.
Road to Mission Shakti
2011: India's anti-ballistic missile defense program- successfully test fired its interceptor missile which destroyed hostile target at an altitude of 16km over Bay of Bengal. (Reuters/Representative Image)
India's Journey to Mission Shakti
2012: DRDO announced that India has capabilities in place to integrate an anti-satellite weapon to neutralize hostile satellites in low Earth and polar orbits. (Reuters/Representative Image)
Mission Shakti a success
2019: India successfully shoots down a low earth orbit satellite that was 300km in space with an anti-satellite missile, becomes the fourth country after US, Russia and China to achieve the capability. (Reuters/Representative Image)
India's Futuristic Weapons Programme
Kali:
- RDO and BARCThe Kilo Ampere Linear Injector 5000 project is a linear electron accelerator being developed in India by D
- Advanced Medium Combat Air craft and Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft to be developed by HAL
Agni VI:
An intercontinental ballistic missile under development by the DRDO. (Reuters/Representative Image)
Futuristic weapons to be inducted in Indian Defence Force
INS Vishal:
Under development and is expected to be commissioned in 2030
BrahMos II:
Scheduled to be ready by 2020. (DRDO Official Website/ Representative Image)
Countries with A-SAT capabilities
2007: China has successfully destroyed a weather satellite using an SC-19 A-SAT on January 11, 2007. The defunct satellite was orbiting at an altitude of 865 kilometers in the Earth's polar orbit.
2008: The USA was able to successfully launch an A-SAT to destroy its own satellite which was decaying in orbiting. USA announced the successful launch of an A-SAT missile in February 20 2008.
2015: Russia tested its first A-SAT system. (Reuters/Representative Image)