‘India can defend its satellites’

PTI

Bangalore, 12 February 2011: India did not believe in space wars but had all the technology required to integrate systems to defend its satellites, V K Saraswat, Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, said Friday.

 

"Our country does not have a policy to attack anybody in space. We don’t believe in it. But as part of the Ballistic Missile Defence Programme, we have all the technology elements which are required to integrate a system through which we can defend our satellites or take care of future requirements."

 

As a country, "we do not believe in space wars", he said in response to a query whether India had anti-satellite weapon capabilities. India did not have a formal anti-satellite weapon policy of attacking satellites in space, but was well geared in case of any eventuality, he told reporters here.

 

Giving updates on the various defence programmes, he said the ’Nirbhay’ project, relating to a subsonic medium range cruise missile, is undergoing integration and the first flight trial is expected early next year.

 

Discussing the Hypersonic cruise missile, he said it was one of the most complex technologies under development with only two countries -- US and Australia -- having done it so far. He said the engine for the missile had undergone a test of 20-second duration on the ground and had performed "reasonably well".

 

He expected that in early next year the flight test of Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle can be conducted in which they would be able to demonstrate the flight engine at an altitude of 30 kms.

 

Giving an update on Agni-V missile, he said all the rocket rotors, first stage, second stage and third stage have been developed. "We will ground test it," he said adding the software and hardware essential for control of guidance for a long-range missile is being developed.

 

"We expect that by end of this year we will have the first flight of Agni-V," he said.