Utilising space assets is essential for the future of warfare
Amandeep Singh
Space is considered the final frontier for mankind and the ultimate high ground for war fighters. Space as a domain for the next generation of warfare has gained substantial prominence in the foresight of militaries over the last two decades with outer space being an area of intense focus to sustain a strategic lead and to counter the possibility of a surprise attack from space.
In the future, whoever has the capability to control space will likewise possess the capability to exert control on the surface of the earth. In fact, space is promising as a military and economic centre of gravity for our information-reliant society, business and military forces. In short, life on Earth is becoming inextricably linked to space.
Multi War Domains
Three traditional and conventional domains of warfare have been land, sea, and air. Rapid technological advances have led to the creation of two more domains—cyber and space. The advent of these two domains has changed the character of warfare. Multi-domain warfare aims at closely integrating the five domains to exploit the strengths of each and gain kinetic as well as non-kinetic advantages over the enemy.
Capturing the exact character of a future war with definite certainty is extremely difficult, but it can be assumed that a future war will be multi-domain and multi-dimensional. With all domains combined, the resultant effect would be a definitive enhanced lethality proposition. Modern militaries will tend to blend conventional, asymmetric and hybrid capabilities across all domains compelling the re-examination of military concepts and doctrine.
Domination in a future war will no longer be attained through supremacy in a single domain and the focus will need to shift to cross-domain synergy. Cross-domain synergy implies the employment of capabilities in different domains such that each enhances the effectiveness and compensates for the vulnerabilities of the other. The idea of operating across domains isn’t as new as each service. However, these would need to move further and transform to make domain integration a norm rather than an exception.
Today, technology is an essential component of the operation of weapons, tactics and even higher level domains of human activity, such as strategy and decision-making. These increasingly rely on speed and near real-time situational awareness. Precision guided bombs, cruise missiles and missile defences all depend on satellite generated information. The modern, digitally enabled armed forces are able to react quickly, project power across great distances and conduct highly lethal conventional operations with precision and a high degree of situational awareness.
Even as India continues with a policy of non-weaponisation and peaceful uses of outer space, the growing trend towards weaponisation in its neighbourhood and in the larger global context is beginning to influence India’s orientation as well. Making a distinction between India’s civil and military space needs has been borne out of necessity rather than choice. It is now equally necessary for India to delineate its space programme into civilian and military components with clear-cut institutional architecture and better financial allocation to ensure its progressive growth.
Military Role in Outer Space
The role of outer space in national defence and security is significant. Therefore outer space turf is explored across varied integrated capabilities in offensive and defensive activities like communication, navigation, precise positioning, early warning, cyberspace, electronic warfare, target analysis, threat capability assessment, situational awareness, battle damage assessment, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, coverage over denied areas, combat assessments, mission planning, terrestrial and space environment monitoring.
All conventional and traditional military missions are gradually migrating to outer space, thereby strengthening the theory that space systems affect every nuance of military operations including effective integration of the battlefield. Space as next-generation warfare leverages sophisticated technology to manipulate space and time. Keeping in view the advancement in the field of satellites and outer space, employing space and time to optimal military advantage is the need of the hour.
Space as an operational sphere has arrived for good times to come. The sooner we appreciate it, the sooner and faster we will be prepared, equipped, skilled and organised to respond to any incident upsetting the access and management of our national space proficiencies. These proficiencies with dual-use applicability—civilian/ military are very expensive and exclusive and are measured as both strategic and sovereign assets. The satellite operational business has become more challenging day by day due to the increased democratization of space, which has taken a leap in this arena at both the international and national levels. This has resulted in making space more accessible and reachable to public and private players. However, that comes at a price.
China’s RMA in Space
The security environment is multilayered and composite and is projected to remain so. There are several space-faring entities and with space technologies and skills becoming progressively easier to achieve, the number of such entities are foreseen to be on an increasing trajectory. Most actors are using space capabilities to better human existence and to improve the management of resources, but the intent of some other nations and organisations is based on self-centred missions.
China’s space programme is catching up to the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which is directed by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). However, unlike NASA, the CNSA doesn’t oversee China’s astronauts. The organisation actually in charge of China’s manned space programme is the China Manned Space Engineering Office, which is under China’s Central Military Commission Equipment Development Department. China’s plans currently include a permanent Chinese space station, crewed expeditions to the moon and interplanetary missions to explore the solar system and beyond. China’s space planning and directing organisations, the ground infrastructure supporting its space programmes and the Taikonauts are all under the purview of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The infrastructure of China’s space programme also brings a heavy military presence. The launch sites, control centres and many of the satellites are directly run by the PLA. Taikonauts lift off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre—for example, Base 20 of the PLA’s Strategic Support Force (PLASSF). Its space and cyber arm is directed by the PLASSF’s Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Centre, with telemetry, tracking, and control support from the Xi’an Satellite Control Centre, PLASSF’s Base 26, and land at one of two sites in Inner Mongolia operated by the two bases. Additionally, while most NASA astronauts are members of the US military, others are civilian scientists and even teachers. In contrast, all Taikonauts are active members of the PLASSF. They make up the Astronaut Corps under the PLASSF Space Systems Department’s China Astronaut Research and Training Centre.
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