Former DRDO Chairman V.K. Saraswat says UPA Government did not give positive response

Hyderabad:  Former ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair yesterday said that India had the anti-satellite (ASAT) missile capability more than a decade ago but there was no political will at the time to demonstrate it. He said when China shot down an ageing weather satellite by launching a missile in 2007, India had the technology to undertake a similar mission.

“…now (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji has taken the initiative and he had the political will and courage to say that we will do this. We have now demonstrated this to whole world,”  Nair said.

He had headed the ISRO  (Indian Space Research Organisation), Space Commission and was Secretary in the Department of Space from 2003 to 2009. Asked if India could have demonstrated the anti-satellite missile capability in 2007 itself, Nair said “certainly”, but it could not be done due to absence of “political decision” to go ahead with it at that time.

“Now, Modiji has courageously taken the decision,” he said. The ASAT missile capability brings India in the select League of Nations that claim to have anti-satellite weapons. Only the United States, China and Russia have demonstrated this capability till now. Israel is also said to possess this capability, though it has not carried out a test so far.

Bringing down an enemy’s missile

Satellites are used by countries for navigation, communications and also for guiding their missile weaponry. The ability to bring down an enemy’s missile, therefore, gives a country the capability to cripple critical infrastructure of other country, rendering their weapons useless.

Though the United States and the then Soviet Union both tested anti-satellite missiles way back in the 1970s at the height of the Cold War, never has any country brought                                 down the satellite of any other country, either during a conflict or by mistake. During the tests, countries target their own satellites those which are no longer in use but continue to be in                    the space.

Former DRDO Chief reacts

Former DRDO Chairman V.K. Saraswat said had the erstwhile UPA Government given clearances, India would have had anti-satellite missile capability way back in 2014-15.

“We made presentations to the then National Security Adviser (NSA) and National Security Council when such discussions were held. They were heard by all concerned, unfortunately, we didn’t get a positive response (from UPA), so we didn’t go ahead,” Saraswat said. During that time, Shiv Shankar Menon was the NSA.

Saraswat said PM Modi had the courage and gave nod to the proposal after he resumed  office following the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. When the proposal was put up by present DRDO Chairman Dr. Satheesh Reddy and NSA Ajit Doval to PM Modi, he had the courage and based on that he gave a go ahead. If the clearances were given in 2012-13, I am quite certain that the launch would have happened in 2014-15,” he said.