India-US ramp up space cooperation with ‘Space Situational Awareness’ pact
In a major development in bolstering the security of the space sector, India and the US finalized the signing of a new ‘Space Situational Awareness’ arrangement, paving way for more advanced cooperation at 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
The landmark development is the outcome of five years of efforts between India and the US. The signing of the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) will help in the exchange of data on the threat posed to the satellites and other assets between the two countries.
The arrangement was inked between the diplomatic and defence leadership of India and the US during the 2+2 Ministerial dialogue between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the Indian side, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin representing the United States.
What SSA agreement will bring?
With the SSA agreement, India will receive data from the US about space debris and other objects in space and the potential threat that may pose to the safety and security of the new launches as well as the existing satellites and other space assets.
Besides this, the SSA framework will ensure the sharing of data and services to make certain, the long-term sustainability of outer space activities of the two countries, which will protect the two countries’ satellites from man-made or natural threats.
The Indo-US Space Cooperation
It is noteworthy that, ‘Space cooperation’ has been reflected multiple times during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings with the American leadership in September last year.
During PM’s visit to Washington, the Indian leader had discussed India-US bilateral cooperation in the space sector with US Vice President Kamala Harris, who heads the National Space Council of America.
Further, India’s premier space entity Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been working on the orbital debris tracking capability by deploying new radars and optical telescopes under the Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) project, a dedicated control centre for SSA activities set up in Bengaluru. NETRA is expected to become involved in various international collaborations on SSA.
India-US take steps in Defence cooperation
During the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken hosted their Indian counterparts, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar for the fourth Ministerial Dialogue between the two countries.
Noting the nearly 20 years of the bilateral defense partnership between the two nations Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said, “Today’s meeting shows that we’re working together to build one of the most consequential partnerships of our time,” he said. “We’ve made important commitments today that will drive technological innovation and cooperation in emerging defense domains, including space and cyberspace.”
He further announced that the U.S. and India will launch new defense space exchanges this year between U.S. Space Command and India’s Defense Space Agency. “And I’m pleased to announce that just a few moments ago, we signed a bilateral space situational awareness arrangement,” he said.
The two defense establishments aim at deepening cooperation in cyberspace, including through training and exercises later this year. India and the United States are also expanding information-sharing partnerships across all warfighting domains.
The U.S.-India defense trade and technology cooperation continues to grow, the secretary said. “We recently concluded, an agreement to work together on air-launched unmanned aerial vehicles through our defense technology and trade initiative,” he said. “And today, we agreed to launch new supply chain cooperation measures that will let us more swiftly support each other’s priority defense requirements.”
