By
Colonel Awadhesh Kumar, Special Forces
Dr. Jessica West is a senior researcher at Project Ploughshares, a Canadian peace and disarmament research organization. She serves as managing editor for the international Space Security Index project as part of a larger research and policy focus on technology.
Well, her article on India’s ASAT, has not only demonstrated the hollowness of her research but also the highly biased and discriminatory nature of the Canadian Peace and Disarmament Organisation.
Canadian opinion does not carry much weight even within the Western World and certainly not with the Chinese or the Russians. Dr Jessica knows that India a rising world power is not bothered by such unilateral trash passed on as research.
How many times Canada as a country has protested against all the nuclear tests conducted by its neighbour the USA ? In fact USA is the only country in the world which has actually used nuclear bombs to kill millions, not once but very deliberately twice. Then the USA, Russia and China have created 99.9% of all space debris till date but has there been any sanctions placed by Canada on them or even a protest by Canada at any forum including the UN ? So suddenly why this biased reaction towards Indian ASAT test ?
Jessica forgets that India as a country, too supports UNGA resolution 69/32 on No First Placement of Weapons on Outer Space. Equally, India supports the substantive consideration of the issue of Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) in the Conference on Disarmament where it has been on the agenda since 1982.
So India has just gone ahead and used its advanced anti-ballistic missile defence capability to conduct a kinetic anti-satellite test (“Mission Shakti”) against one of its own satellites on March 27. India has thus become the fourth state, after the United States, Russia, and China, to demonstrate an ASAT capability and only the third to conduct a direct intercept of an object in space.
By doing this test, apart from other things, India has demonstrated its capability to enforce UNGA resolution 69/32, if ever the need arises. As a contrast Canada, instead of protesting against American ASAT, knows only to do its bidding. Though by arresting a Chinese CEO on Canadian soil for perceived violation of some pompous American law, it has only invited solid well deserved Chinese kicks.
As per details given by India a BMD missile interceptor developed by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation was launched from the Abdul Kalam Island launch complex. It then intercepted an Indian satellite, Microsat-R, at an altitude of roughly 300 kilometers. The test was fully successful and achieved all parameters as per plans. This has cemented India’s position as an undisputable space power. The Chandrama mission, the Mangal yaan, the forthcoming Chandrayaan and finally the first of the Gaganyatris, should leave nothing to speculation. Like the down under Australians are still speculating on Indian Air Strike on Balakot, even though they have nothing remotely connected with Jaish E Mohammed terrorist outfit.Australians, at least a few of them, are trying to prove that, IAF did not cause any damage to the outfit ! Why? Because Indians do not posses the technical capability!!!
Jessica has termed the Indian test as simply reckless, since India was already a rising Space power and so need not have done it. Though immediately she gives one of the justification that is India’s rivalry with China, itself a space power. She forgets that this test was not reckless but contrarily quite well planned and scientifically calculated to the last decimal to be totally harmless to all others.
The first concern that immediately comes to Dr Jessica Westby ‘s myopic mind is the production of space debris, which poses a hazard to all other spacecraft in the proximity of the strike. She is someone viewing this historical event mostly with despair and hysteria displayed by many Western Countries whenever India breaks one of the many glass ceilings imposed on the rest of the World. Where as India took a responsible approach to the production of debris. The strike was at the relatively low altitude of 300 kilometers and nearly all of the resulting debris should re-enter Earth’s atmosphere within a few weeks. This is in sheer contrast to the massive cloud created by China in 2007—which continues to pose a threat in space—and over 25000 pieces created by the Americans and the Russian tests. She though stubbornly speculates that atleast some debris poses a threat, particularly to the International Space Station, whereas both US Administration and NASA have now totally denied it.
Jessica being a Wise Scholar should have understood that now India has become an active power. So before all those who thought of NPT, CTBT and MTCR could think of ASAT ban, India by carrying out the test has nipped the attempt and blown it up sky high. She herself reveals the above plan by stating that this test breaks the taboo against kinetic intercepts that has existed since the Chinese and US demonstrations more than a decade ago. Who imposed this taboo unknown to the Indians?
As per Jessica, India’s test adds fuel to what is already a simmering arms race in outer space and exacerbates growing military tensions. Although India claims that the test was conducted to safeguard its assets in space. She also makes an inherently funny statement, which bellies her position as a Research Scholar. Dr. West asserts that ASAT weapons are inherently offensive. Whereas Satellites today affect most of the military Operations, facilitate communication, direct missiles, take vital pictures, intercept communications and therefore are a critical threat to defence. So bring to them down or destroy them is certainly a defensive act and not an offensive one.
As per Jessica, the sense of Indian aggressiveness is heightened by the fact that the test was conducted with no warning to the international community. Though she fails to spell out the names of all the countries participating in this arms race in outer space. Certainly it has not been started by India in any case and not even by China. And once started by someone, why should not India too prove its capability as a rising World Power. It is not a monopoly of just a few.
And certainly Indians are no fools that they will announce such tests beforehand so as to invite others to monitor the test from all angles possible. Therefore by calling the test as diplomatically reckless, She only demonstrates the state of her anxiety and despair.
Jessica mentions that a group of governmental experts representing more than 25 states recently concluded talks in Geneva that explore options for advancing additional measures to prevent an arms race, and armed conflict, in outer space (PAROS). India is part of this discussion and maintains that it supports efforts on PAROS and the peaceful uses of outer space.
So now India has shown that, whatever it says needs to be taken seriously because otherwise even India will do as it pleases and wherever it pleases and whenever it pleases.
Jessica is of the view that India is already a Space Power. She states that India has a long and remarkable history in space. Created in 1969, the Indian Space Research Organisation is one of the oldest civil space agencies in the world. India launched its own satellite in 1980. The first Indian astronaut reached space in a Soviet spacecraft in 1984. In 2008, India became one of the few nations to place a spacecraft in orbit around the Moon, with a second Moon mission expected to launch later this year. And India is moving forward with an ambitious space exploration and human spaceflight program. It has pioneered low-cost innovations in the launch industry, and launches commercial and foreign government satellites for customers around the world. So she is angry because of this “unnecessary “test.
She forgets that just like the Americans and the Russians, even India has ISRO and DRDO two distinct agencies, one for civilian purpose and one exclusively for defence. The Agni series and other missiles have established the prowess of DRDO in spite of MCTR and now DRDO has asserted itself by the ASAT test.
To raise voice against India, poor Jessica has found some voices raised from within the Western Space industry because it is their monopoly and supremacy that has been shattered to bits. No wonder Planet, a global Earth imaging company, condemned the test as a threat to stability of the outer space environment. Members of Secure World Foundation and Union of Concerned Scientists have raised concerns about an arms-race dynamic and the devastating potential for conflict in outer space. Their vocal cord had been missing earlier on when USA and Russia were carrying out such tests recklessly !!
Such whimpering leaves all of us stunned. As brought out by someone in response to Jessican thoughts,Perhaps the better response would be to acknowledge the success and congratulate India in achieving the status of a space power. After all, that is the purpose of the demonstration in the first place – to be recognized. More importantly, the sincerity of the message can be shown with new offers of collaboration in scientific research & exploration.
Teeth baring and chest thumping has been around since the existence of lions and gorillas. We can learn how these magnificent creatures maintained the peace when they recognize the capabilities of the others. It’s only when you ignore or criticize, that’s when the escalation begins.
