BJP MP calls for independent Space Force in Rajya Sabha

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar on Monday made a strong pitch for the establishment of an independent Space Force , stating that India must urgently upgrade its institutional framework to protect its expanding strategic interests in outer space.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Upper House, Kumar said space is no longer limited to scientific exploration and civilian use , but has emerged as a critical strategic domain underpinning communications, navigation, banking, surveillance and military operations. “Our dependence on space-based assets is accelerating,” he said.

The MP noted that the government has already created the Defence Space Agency (DSA) and the Defence Space Research Organisation (DSRO), and highlighted the global stature of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He said India’s successful anti-satellite (ASAT) missile test had firmly established the country as a credible space power.

However, Kumar argued that these advances must now be matched by institutional reform. He said an independent Space Force would be tasked with protecting India’s military and dual-use satellites , ensuring uninterrupted space-based communications and navigation , maintaining constant space situational awareness , and defending space assets against threats such as cyber, electronic and anti-satellite warfare. Such a force would also provide unified command and control over military space operations and develop specialised doctrine and trained personnel for space warfare.

Placing India’s position in a global context, Kumar pointed out that only the United States and China currently operate independent military space forces , while most other countries manage space operations through integrated defence commands. The US established its Space Force in 2019, while China runs a dedicated space warfare arm under its military structure. “India cannot afford institutional complacency when major powers are moving decisively in this direction,” he said.

Kumar said that while the Defence Space Agency is an important first step, it remains a transitional arrangement. Operating within the existing tri-service framework, the agency is headed by officers on rotation and lacks an independent cadre, permanent doctrine authority and full unity of command over space operations, he added.

He further noted that with Phase-III surveillance systems and dozens of military satellites planned, protecting India’s space assets would soon require continuous and dedicated military operations. Space warfare, he said, is fundamentally different from traditional domains and demands specialised training, career officers and seamless coordination with industry and strategic partners.

The BJP MP urged the government to constitute a high-level committee to examine the feasibility of setting up an independent Space Force and a Space Warfare Academy, and to submit its recommendations at the earliest.