From Sputnik-1 to contemporary explorations, space has also become a high ground for competition due to its multifaceted military and civilian applications. States’ behavior in space is mirroring the earthly quest for dominance to plant flags on the uncharted territories. Orbits are also the playground for strategic cultures of spacefaring nations. States follow their strategic culture beyond the sky and harness their scientific curiosity to enhance sovereignty, power, and status. In South Asia, India’s expanding space program, from anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) to spy and surveillance satellites, is not motivated by technological ambitions but a function of its deep strategic culture. Indian scholar Rajesh Basrur’s concept of deep Indian strategic culture is an apt lens to study India’s space politics. India’s space odyssey reflects its quest for autonomy and prestige, the two essential components of its deep strategic culture.
According to Basrur’s statement in his article on Indian Strategic Culture, “defining a deep strategic culture is “tricky, perhaps tautological since it is a recognition that is post facto (a long-term attribute is deep until it is not!)”. Basrur identified two levels of strategic culture: mutable strategic culture can shift over time, while a deep strategic culture is a set of core strategic preferences derived from historical experiences. Basrur defined deep strategic culture as “patterns that are sustained unchanged over a long period of time (in the present context, since independence), irrespective of changing circumstance and shifts in level 2 strategic culture”. He underscored two most enduring pillars of Indian strategic culture; persistent preference for strategic autonomy and a long-standing quest for status on the global stage.
India’s space politics is thus a reflection of its deep-rooted desire to achieve strategic autonomy. India’s space program is highly militarized. India has heavily invested in dual-use technologies such as navigation satellites (NavlC) and communication satellites (GSAT). India leverages these dual-use technologies as a strategic enabler. These satellites allow real-time monitoring and surveillance of the South Asian region and beyond. Moreover, the indigenous development of Launch vehicles like the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) and GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) is adaptable for military purposes. Mission Shakti ASAT Test is evidence of using an indigenous launch vehicle for the delivery of kinetic anti-satellite weapons. It underscores the operational autonomy in space without reliance on external partners or maybe against them. The pattern of international space cooperation of India is also driven by its deep strategic culture. India engages with both the US and Russia as per its strategic needs. This multi-alignment strategy aims to get access to modern technology, expertise, and partnerships without committing to any one side.
Another deeply interwoven element of Indian strategic culture in its space politics is the pursuit of status. India leverages space as a key domain to achieve recognition as a technologically advanced and influential major power. India demonstrates its status through high-profile space missions, such as Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, and the upcoming Gaganyaan mission. These missions garner international attention and enhance India’s prestige, signaling to the international community that the country has ambitious space aims.
Furthermore, to enhance prestige and status, India participates in international space forums of exploration and governance like the Artemis Accords, the TRUST initiative, and the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). India harnesses these platforms to achieve its national interest by getting more visibility, access to dual-use technologies, and chances of space exploration. India also gets leverage of accessing high-accuracy real-time data that allows it to do regional surveillance and monitoring.
Indian space politics is not only about capability but demonstrating it in a way that enhances its international standing. All this is not being played in isolation but in a region with a fragile balance of power maintained by nuclear deterrence. This translation of Indian strategic culture into astropolitics has regional and global implications. At the regional level, India’s increasingly offensive capabilities in space are triggering a security dilemma for its neighbor. Pakistan raised its concerns about the military uses of such as surveillance, missile guidance, and precision strikes. This disturbs the regional balance of power capabilities Strategics Beyondand will motivate Pakistan to enter an arms race or equip itself with non-military ways to compete with India.
Furthermore, at the international level, India’s multi-alignment strategy is not working as per its expectations. The contemporary strategic rift between the US and India is evidence of the failure of multi-alignment. The US always criticizes India on its multi-alignment strategy and close ties with Russia. Strategic autonomy sounds sophisticated, but it is practically quite unlikely, as alliances and power blocs are the pivot of international relations. In a nutshell, Indian astropolitics is not only motivated by technological advancement but is also driven by its deep strategic culture. Its preference for strategic autonomy drives investment in indigenous dual-use technologies that are later harnessed for military purposes to gain an edge over its rivals. For this purpose, India exploits every international cooperation with partners from opposite blocs. This multi-alignment strategy enables access to high-quality data and much-needed surveillance information. To bid on such cooperation deals, India showcases its potential in space at international platforms, which further enhances its status. However, India’s astropolitics is a source of a security dilemma for its neighbors that can potentially lead to another space arms race.
This article was published in another form at https://stratheia.com/indian-deep-strategic-culture-beyond-the-sky/
Areesha Manzoor is Research Assistant at the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Islamabad.
