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Date of Event:
Jul 4, 2025
India builds space shield as China erects a new Great Wall in the skies
“Space is the ultimate high ground. We must secure it now — or risk being left blind.”
That was the assessment of Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, at the Surveillance and Electro Optics India seminar earlier this month.
His warning reflects a growing consensus within India’s defence establishment: space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities are now critical to national security.
India is accelerating efforts to strengthen its space-based defence architecture in response to China’s rapid militarisation of orbit and its expanding arsenal of space warfare technologies.
While India’s Space-Based Surveillance (SBS) programme has been in development for years, Operation Sindoor, a high-intensity military response against Pakistan in May 2025, highlighted the urgency of building a robust, autonomous satellite constellation for real-time military intelligence.
The result: an accelerated push to deploy 52 dedicated defence satellites by 2029, with the first satellite under this phase expected to be launched by April next year, as part of the ₹26,968-crore SBS Phase-3 (SBS-3) programme. Cleared in October 2023 by the Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security, the initiative is now being fast-tracked under strategic and operational pressure, as reported by The Times of India.
The goal: to build a credible, sovereign space shield that can match, if not deter, the rising Chinese space threat.
War exposed a blind spot
The need for rapid space modernisation became glaringly apparent during Operation Sindoor, a brief but intense military conflict with Pakistan between May 7 and 10, 2025. Indian forces were forced to lean heavily on legacy assets like Cartosat satellites and foreign commercial satellite imagery to monitor adversary positions, reported TOI.What are the Cartosat satellites?
As per ISRO, the Cartosat series comprises Indian optical Earth observation satellites developed and operated under the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) programme. These satellites play a vital role in resource mapping, infrastructure planning, defence applications and environmental monitoring.
The first in the series, Cartosat-1, was launched in May 2005 aboard the PSLV-C6 rocket from the Second Launch Pad (SLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota. It was followed by Cartosat-2, launched in January 2007 using PSLV-C7 from the First Launch Pad (FLP) at the same spaceport.
While these platforms provided useful data, the delays in acquisition and processing cycles revealed a major strategic vulnerability.
“We need to shorten our OODA (observe, orient, decide and act) loop. The faster India gets the 52-satellite constellation up in space, the better,” a senior source told The Times of India.
India's military planners realised that without deep, real-time surveillance across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Line of Control (LoC) and the Indian Ocean Region, the country remained tactically exposed in both land and maritime domains.
China’s great wall stretches into space
China’s rapid ascent in space-based military capabilities has created a sharp contrast with other nations. In 2010, China had just 36 satellites. By 2024, that number had skyrocketed to over 1,000, making it the world’s second-largest military satellite fleet.Of these, 360 are exclusively dedicated to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations, according to a report by The Times of India.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, United States Space Force Chief of Space Operations, General B. Chance Saltzman, appeared before the commission on April 3, 2025, stating that "China’s pursuit of its ambitions in the domain could present a powerful destabilising force to our economy and our national security," as reported by The Economic Times.
China has developed a comprehensive arsenal of both kinetic and non-kinetic space weapons designed to "deny, degrade or destroy our satellites at will." Recalling a pivotal moment, Saltzman noted he was present at the Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base during China’s first anti-satellite missile test in 2007.
He described the event as transformative: "things had irrevocably changed, space was no longer safe."
A sky full of spies
The number of ISR satellites operated by China, including those under commercial guise, has increased 17-fold. These assets form a formidable orbital spying network, enabling near real-time, high-precision surveillance.According to reports from CSIS, the Project 2049 Institute, and SpaceNews, this leap has been enabled by successive launches of Yaogan, TJS, and Gaofen series satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), equipped with high-resolution imaging, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and ELINT capabilities.
LEO satellites, as per Gemini, enable high-resolution, cloud-penetrating SAR imaging ideal for frequent and focused observations. In contrast, GEO satellites provide wide-area, persistent coverage and intercept electronic signals like radar for ELINT, albeit with lower optical resolution due to their distance.
In 2024 alone, China launched 260 space objects, including 67 ISR satellites, according to the US Space Force. The total ISR-capable satellites in the Chinese military fleet exceeded 510 by the end of 2023.
China also reorganised its military command by establishing the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Aerospace Force in April 2024, replacing the Strategic Support Force (SSF) and placing space operations directly under the Central Military Commission.
Beijing’s ‘kill mesh’ is already operational
The US has taken serious note of these developments.United States Space Force (USSF) Commander General Stephen Whiting, speaking to military website Breaking Defence, noted, “China is moving ‘breathtakingly fast’ in space military technologies,” warning that Beijing’s progress poses strategic threats.
He listed three concerns: the growth of a space-based “kill chain,” integration with ground and naval forces, and the development of both “soft kill” systems like cyberattacks and “hard kill” tools such as lasers and ASAT missiles.
“They have evolved from a ‘kill chain’ to a ‘kill mesh’, an integrated network that interweaves ISR satellites with weapon systems,” said Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit.
“They have leveraged all the advantages of space to make their [PLA Army, Navy and Air Force] more lethal, more precise and more far-ranging, using space-enabled services,” he explained.
Additionally, China’s military satellites have demonstrated orbital “dogfighting” manoeuvres and close-proximity operations, hinting at co-orbital counterspace capabilities that could disable adversary satellites.
China’s orbital arsenal
In addition to these advanced tactics, China is actively building a wide-ranging arsenal of anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons. According to multiple reports, this includes direct-ascent ASAT missiles, electronic warfare (EW) systems, and directed energy weapons (DEWs), all designed to target and potentially neutralise adversarial space assets.As per the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a notable step in this direction was the launch of sophisticated remote sensing satellites into geostationary orbit (GEO). The Yaogan-41 satellite, launched in December 2023, and TJS-12, launched in December 2024, are examples of China’s efforts to achieve persistent surveillance capabilities.
Operating at approximately 36,000 km above the Earth, these GEO satellites allow Beijing to maintain a constant watch over vast regions, including the Indo-Pacific, enhancing its strategic intelligence posture.
Particularly alarming are China's developments in several high-risk categories:
Direct-Ascent Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Missiles: China demonstrated its direct-ascent ASAT capability in 2007 by destroying one of its own obsolete weather satellites. The test resulted in a massive cloud of space debris and drew international criticism. Reports suggest China is now developing ASAT missiles with the potential to reach targets in geostationary orbit, an area previously considered more secure due to its distance from Earth.
Co-orbital Satellites: These satellites share orbits with potential targets and, while ostensibly used for “inspection and repair” purposes, they also possess the potential for more aggressive roles. This includes jamming, disabling, or even physically attacking other satellites. China’s SJ (Shijian) and TJS (Tongxin Jishu Shiyan) series satellites have carried out a series of unexplained manoeuvres, reinforcing suspicions of their dual-use capabilities.
Electronic Warfare (EW) Systems: These systems are capable of jamming satellite communications and disrupting GPS signals. Such interference could severely impair both military and civilian systems during a conflict, affecting everything from navigation to precision targeting.
Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs): China is reportedly developing ground-based lasers capable of targeting the sensitive sensors aboard satellites. These DEWs could be used to temporarily blind, degrade or permanently damage satellite systems, effectively neutralising key space-based assets without creating physical debris.
India’s Plan 52:
Launched under PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2001, it has evolved through three phases:Phase 1 (2001–2010): Cartosat-2A/B, RISAT-2, and EROS B for Earth observation.
Phase 2 (2013–2023): Improved frequency and resolution with Cartosat-2C/2D/2E, RISAT-2A, Cartosat-3 series, Microsat-TD.
Phase 3 (2024–2029): 52 new satellites with onboard AI, SAR, Thermal Imaging (TI), and autonomous coordination across LEO and GEO.
The SBS-3 phase will see 21 satellites built and launched by ISRO, and 31, As per Indian Defence Research Wing, constructed by Indian private firms like Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), Ananth Technologies, and Centum Electronics, marking a new chapter in public-private defence collaboration.
“Efforts are underway to compress timelines and accelerate the launch of satellites into both LEO and GEO,” a source told TOI.
AI eyes in the sky to slash response time
The SBS-3 constellation will leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to autonomously process imaging data, detect anomalies, and guide inter-satellite coordination. The AI systems will be designed to process not only visual data but also Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Thermal Imaging (TI) data, enabling all-weather, day-night surveillance.This inter-satellite communication, combined with onboard processing, will eliminate delays in downloading and analysing large volumes of raw data, thus drastically reducing response times.
“We will have communication between satellites, so that if one in GEO (at 36,000 km) detects activity, it can task another satellite in a lower orbit to take a closer look and gather more information,” explained ISRO Chairman S. Somanath at IIT Bombay’s Techfest in December 2023.
“We’re aiming not just to image small areas, but thousands of kilometres, and to cover the entire border daily. If we succeed in launching these satellites over the next five years, we will have built tremendous capability,” he added.
This capability includes processing visual, SAR, and TI data onboard, eliminating data bottlenecks and reducing response times significantly.
China-Pak intel sharing sharpens India’s focus
In a rare disclosure, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Arab News that China shared satellite intelligence with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.“It’s very normal if we are sharing any information that could pose a threat to us or the Chinese,” Asif told Arab News, adding that intelligence-sharing was natural given China’s own issues with India.
“The Chinese also have issues with India. So I think it’s very natural to share intelligence gathered through satellites or other means.”
This underscores the strategic depth of the China-Pakistan alliance and reinforces the need for India to build sovereign ISR and ELINT capabilities.
Defence Budget
As per PIB, the Indian government has recognised the need to scale its defence infrastructure. In FY26, it allocated Rs 6.81 lakh crore, the highest ever. Following Operation Sindoor, this is expected to rise by Rs 50,000 crore via a supplementary budget, taking it past Rs 7 lakh crore, according to The Hindu. The increase is expected to fund ISR upgrades and strategic procurement.Meanwhile, on March 5, 2025, China announced a 7.2% rise in its military budget, taking its official defence outlay to $245 billion. However, the Pentagon estimates actual spending could be 40% higher due to opaque budgetary practices.
India, meanwhile, is preparing for a long-term strategic expansion. The CII-KPMG Defence Vision 2047 projects India’s defence budget could rise nearly fivefold to Rs 31.7 trillion by 2047, with defence production growing more than sixfold to Rs 8.8 trillion and R&D allocation doubling from 4% to 8–10% of total defence expenditure.
They are also interested in offshore patrol vessels.
