India’s Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has issued a serious warning regarding the increasing importance of space in the modern battlefield. ‘India Deafspace Symposium 2026’ (India DefSpace Symposium 2026) Addressing the gathering, he made it clear that India cannot adopt a merely reactive approach in developing space capabilities. He said that space has now become a decisive field of war which multiplies the military power of land, water and air.
General Chauhan described space as a ‘non-nuclear strategic domain’ of war, which acts as a bridge between conventional and nuclear deterrence. He sent a strong message regarding the country’s dependence on space and security, saying, “Failure in space will force India to ‘fight blind’, while success in this area will allow us to ‘fight with foresight’.”
He said that space is no longer limited to only a few countries. Citing the example of conflicts in West Asia, he said that now private companies and non-state actors also have access to space capabilities. According to him, weakness in space directly means weakness in land, sea and sky.
The CDS called for moving beyond the traditional ‘situational awareness’ and focusing on ‘anticipatory awareness’. He explained that the combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and space data can present a four-dimensional picture (latitude, longitude, altitude and time) of the battlefield. Discussing the decision-making process (OODA Loop – Observe, Orient, Decide, Act), he said, “This shift from Situation Awareness to Anticipatory Awareness narrows the OODA loop and enables pre-emptive responses. “Artificial Intelligence should therefore be at the center of our space infrastructure, not on the periphery.”
General Chauhan referred to last year’s ‘Operation Sindoor’, which was India’s first major experience in the use of space capabilities in warfare. During that time, China provided real-time tracking information to Pakistan, while India also used both public and private space assets for planning and execution.
The limitations of the NavIC navigation system were also discussed during the conference, making it clear that government efforts alone cannot meet military requirements. General Chauhan called upon the private sector and startups to play a leading role in this field.
The CDS emphasized the development of ‘dual-use’ systems that could quickly convert to civilian functions in peacetime and military roles in times of crisis. He cited the example of West Asia where private companies like ‘Planet Labs’ stopped providing satellite imagery on the orders of the US government.
He concluded that India needs self-reliant technology that can provide continuous surveillance in the Indian Ocean region and give India a strategic edge by remaining free from the influence of foreign governments.
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