India needs an integrated ‘Air and Space Force’: Senior IAF officer

NEW DELHI: Indian Air Force Air Marshal Ashish Singh on Tuesday pitched for an integrated “Air and Space Force”, saying that “militarisation of space is on the increase and probability of its weaponisation is also increasing” and that India will have to become a true aerospace power if it wants to stay relevant in the coming Space Age.Explaining the importance of space as a key domain at Indian Space Congress 2026, Air Marshal Singh said, “Space enables air power more than anything else, and vice versa. Countries which are leading aerospace powers (US, Russia, China and France) are more likely to be space powers in the coming age due to their aviation base. Therefore, the IAF’s capability should expand to add space, and such an integrated ‘Air and Space Force’ will benefit our country.

”Currently, only the US and China have established an independent and dedicated space force, called the US Space Force and People’s Liberation Army Aerospace Force, respectively. Several other nations manage their space defence through branches integrated into existing air forces or joint inter-service space commands.The French Air and Space Force was officially renamed in 2020 to formally incorporate space operations into its core military mission.

Russian Space Forces were a standalone branch until a 2015 reorganisation integrated them into unified Russian Aerospace Forces. Formed in 2021, UK Space Command is a joint unit drawing personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. In Germany, Defence Space Command was established in 2022 to manage the nation’s military space interests.Instead of a dedicated space branch, India manages its military space assets through Defence Space Agency, which is a specialised tri-services agency tasked with operating the nation’s military space warfare and satellite intelligence assets.

It serves as the foundational framework for India’s evolving military space doctrine, integrating personnel from Army, Navy, and IAF.INSPACe chairman Pawan K Goenka, also speaking at the Indian Space Congress 2026, said, “The $44 billion space economy by 2033 will not be built by startups alone. Investors see space not only as a frontier but also as a long-term industrial opportunity where early conviction creates lasting value.”