CISC Dixit cites expansion in China's military space programme at defence surveillance seminar

New Delhi: As India contemplates its own surveillance capabilities, the rapidly evolving threat landscape, particularly the remarkable advances made by "our neighbours to the north" must be understood, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit said on Wednesday, as he also cited expansion in China's military space programme.

In his address at a seminar here, Air Marshal Dixit also said Chinese satellites have recently demonstrated "sophisticated 'dog-fighting' manouvres" in low earth orbits.

He was speaking on 'Surveillance and Electro-optics' at the event hosted by think-tank CAPS (Centre for Air Power Studies) and Indian Military Reviews (IMR) at Subroto Park.

China's military space programme has expanded from "operating just 36 satellites in 2010 to over a thousand by 2024, with more than 360 dedicated to ISR missions".

ISR refers to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

"As we contemplate our own surveillance capabilities, we must understand the rapidly evolving threat landscape, particularly the remarkable advances made by our neighbours to the north," Air Marshal Dixit said.

"They have evolved from a kill chain to a kill mesh, an integrated network that seamlessly interweaves ISR satellites with weapon systems," he added.

However, he laid emphasis on the success of Operation Sindoor and said while these challenges be acknowledged, "we must also celebrate our remarkable achievements."

At the "heart of our success" was the integrated air command and control system (IACCS), a testament to Indian engineering's excellent and strategic vision," the officer said.

It was also synchronised and integrated with the Indian Army's Akasheteer system, providing a joint and integrated approach to the air defence of the nation.

What made IACCS particularly effective was its impact on decision-making and speed, he said, adding in modern warfare, information without the ability to act upon it rapidly, is of limited value.

"IACCS compressed our sensor-to-shooter timelines dramatically, enabling responses that outpaced adversary's decision cycles," Air Marshal Dixit said.

As we look to the future, we must recognise that tomorrow's battlefields will demand sensors in all domains. Surveillance and electro-optics will be one of the foundational layers of military operations, enabling dominance through foresight and planning, rather than firepower alone, the officer added.

India's MALE (medium altitude long endurance) and HALE (high altitude long endurance) platforms, including the MQ9, must therefore evolve with modular payloads, advanced system, AI-assisted analysis to provide commanders with unprecedented situational awareness, he said.

At a symposium in 2023, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan while highlighting the intense race towards militarisation of space, had made a strong pitch for developing dual-use platforms with a special focus on incorporating cutting-edge technology in the space domain.

The CDS, in another session of the symposium had also said that India needs to sharpen its focus on developing space capabilities to counter the rapid advances in the sector made by "an adversary", an apparent reference to China.