Anti Satellite Missile:

On the occasion of Engineer’s Day, a customized stamp on India’s first Anti-Satellite Missile (A-SAT) launch was released by the Department of Post today.

The Stamp launch was attended by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval who, in his address, complimented DRDO for the mission and said the agency has plenty of achievements to be proud of. Interestingly Doval underscored the fact that the future (warfare?) is in space-based technologies and with the A-SAT capability, India can defend its assets in space, including critical satellites.

A Caution for China:

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had successfully conducted an A-SAT missile test ‘Mission Shakti’ from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha on March 27, 2019, which propelled India into an elite club of few nations having the advanced capability to strike down a moving satellite orbiting in the state. This strike can immediately bring the communication in any country to a halt with a few strikes sending it to stone age. China’s war strategists may take into consideration this capability too before seeking to step any further into the territory of India in Ladakh.

On the occasion, DRDO chief Dr G Satheesh Reddy went a step further to explain the scope of this capability. According to him the A-SAT mission enabled the development of many technologies and capabilities for precision kill at higher altitudes. He called upon DRDO fraternity to take up more such complex and critical projects.

I would not call this a subtle message to China. It is rather to straight forward.