The Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) exhibited its Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) missile and the Air Defence Tactical Control Radar (ADTCR) in the 71st Republic Day parade. Various cutting-edge military equipment from the Indian Air Force and Army, such as the Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, Apache attack helicopters, the 155-mm Dhanush towed howitzer, and the K9-Vajra self-propelled artillery gun, also made their appearance in the parade.
The A-SAT Missile: An Overview
Specially designed to neutralize or impair the function of satellites in space, the A-SAT is an interceptor missile. There exist two categories of A-SATs. On one hand, we have Kinetic A-SATs that directly hit and destroy objects, much like ballistic missiles. On the other hand are Non-Kinetic A-SATs which employ non-physical methods such as the frequency jamming, blinding lasers, or cyber attacks to disable or obliterate space objects. Unfortunately, the range of A-SATs is finite. They cannot reach satellites situated above 20,000 km.
India’s Experiments with the A-SAT Missile
On the 27th of March, 2019, India made its mark in history by successfully conducting a Kinetic Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) missile test from the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island launch complex, located in Odisha. Under the vigilant guidance of Mission Shakti, the DRDO developed the A-SAT missile. The objective of Mission Shakti was to fortify India’s space assets, thereby bolstering our national security. With this monumental achievement, India joined the elite ranks of countries with A-SAT technology – a list that only included the USA, Russia, and China until then. The A-SAT technology developed in India introduced the unique ‘hit to kill’ feature, enabling the destruction of enemy satellites through direct collisions with unerring accuracy.
| Country | Year of Acquiring A-SAT Technology |
|---|---|
| USA | 1959 |
| Russia | 1968 |
| China | 2007 |
| India | 2019 |
Air Defence Tactical Control Radar (ADTCR)
The ADTCR is primarily utilized for volumetric surveillance, detection, tracking, and distinguishing between friend and foe amongst aerial targets of various types. Furthermore, it facilitates the transmission of prioritized target data to multiple command posts and weapon systems. An impressive facet of the ADTCR is its ability to detect minuscule and low-flying targets.
