Military preparedness increasingly linked to satellite capabilities: IAF training chief

BENGALURU: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is accelerating its focus on space as a critical operational domain, with military preparedness increasingly tied to satellite-enabled capabilities, Air Marshal Tejinder Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), IAF Training Command said here on Monday.He spoke at the International Conference on Space organised by

CII

and Isro. “Air and space are a continuum…Space is the new high ground,” he said, underscoring how modern warfare depends on satellite-based intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), navigation and communication. Drawing from recent operations, he explained how real-time satellite data has been indispensable for target tracking and post-strike assessments, making

space situational awareness

a strategic priority.He also stressed the importance of closer coordination between civil and military bodies, especially Isro and the

Defence Space Agency

(DSA). Plans are underway to expand satellite constellations from 12 operational satellites today to 78 by 2031, enhancing ISR and regional Positioning, Navigation and Timing services through the Naval Constellation, expected to be operational by 2027.

Initiatives like

Mission Defspace

, aimed at fostering collaboration with startups, academia and the private sector, are being seen as crucial to sustaining innovation in space technologies.“The armed forces are committed to being both stewards and beneficiaries of India’s space capabilities,” he said, urging defence agencies, industries and partner nations to work together to strengthen India’s space-driven preparedness.Isro chairman V Narayanan reiterated India’s journey from modest beginnings to its current status as a spacefaring nation with a global footprint. “We began with international support when Aryabhata was launched on April 19, 1975, with assistance from the USSR,” he said. “Today, we have 133 satellites in orbit, carrying payloads weighing up to 6,000 kg.” He cited recent achievements such as the Chandrayaan-3, which enabled India to become the first country to land near the Moon’s south pole, yielding discoveries on seismic activity, electron clouds and thermal profiles shared with the global community.Narayanan also highlighted ongoing missions like Aditya-L1, which has delivered 15TB of data since Jan, and the SpaDeX mission where two satellites docked making India one of only four nations capable of such a feat. Looking ahead, he confirmed plans for Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5 (jointly with Japan), a G20 Earth observation satellite, and a space station targeted for 2035.He further emphasised India’s role in global partnerships, citing collaborative efforts in the Axiom-4 mission, Gaganyaan and the proposed human spaceflight mission by 2027. Public-private partnerships are playing a central role, he said, adding: “Through innovation and collaboration, we are aiming to be among the top spacefaring nations by 2040.”Both Singh and Narayanan agreed that India’s space ambitions require not just technological advancement but strategic integration.