Weaponisation of Space: An Inevitable Reality and Plausible Fallout

Militarily use of space-based assets when integrated with operations assumes importance as one of the many force multipliers. As on date outer space is being extensively used by the armed forces for varied services which include navigation intelligence surveillance reconnaissance environmental monitoring and advance warning. The command and control in todays net-centric environment also depends on space resources. Thus the use of outer space with space-based assets in support of military operations leads to the deduction that space as a medium stands militarised. Of late many of the dominant nations have developed or are expanding capabilities to attack the space-based assets of potential adversaries to disrupt command and control structures. Countries like the US and China are contesting for space supremacy and working towards developing space-based weapons capable of being delivered from space-based platforms. These developments in turn are infusing a sense of insecurity amongst other international players including India and have raised concerns worldwide. Development of space-based weapons by any state has the potential to ignite a new arms race in space as many countries now possess the wherewithal for launching space-based assets capable of carrying the required payloads. Thus from the present capability of militarisation of space we seem to be graduating towards weaponisation of space. As outer space has been designated as one of the global commons any sort of deployment or employment of space weapons raises concerns and any use of space-based weapons will have unpleasant cascading effects. In the absence of any international curb or law on space weaponisation it continues to be a conceptual possibility as well as an empirical reality.