Highlights

• The imperative by America to build space weapons, which is nothing new, goes back to the Cold War, an example being the Strategic Defence Initiative of the Reagan Administration.
• The creation of the new force represents an important shift at least at an institutional level. What advantages it will bring to American war-fighting capabilities are still unclear.

Implications for India

• American military goals, which are still undefined in space, could still have consequences for India. While India is officially committed to PAROS, or the prevention of an arms race in outer space, it is yet to formulate a credible official response to the Trump plan.
• India has yet to establish a credible space command of its own. And, its inter-services rivalries will have to be resolved about the command and control.
• China’s reaction could be much stronger than its seemingly muted official response and it does possess a formidable space military programme that far exceeds current Indian capabilities.

Way forward

• More than their war-fighting attributes, space weapons have one principal function — deterrence. India needs to ramp up its research and development initiatives along with negotiating with global powers to adhere to PAROS for a peaceful ,accessible and inclusive space

Source: The Hindu