Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan emphasised the growing importance of space as a domain of warfare during his inaugural address at the third edition of the Indian DefSpace Symposium on April 7, 2025. He stated that humanity is at the "cusp of an era" where space will dominate warfare, influencing air, maritime, and land domains. To prepare for this shift, General Chauhan advocated for developing a "space culture," which involves creating doctrines, conducting research, and establishing dedicated space warfare schools within the armed forces.

Drawing historical parallels, he highlighted how maritime and aerospace cultures shaped military power in previous centuries. For instance, seafaring nations like Portugal and England dominated global affairs through maritime capabilities, while aerospace advancements gave the United States and Europe control over airspace. Similarly, he argued that space will now become central to military strategy and power projection.

General Chauhan also stressed the need for India to develop offensive and defensive capabilities in space to counter challenges such as anti-satellite weapons. He called for expanding India's NavIC satellite constellation, enhancing space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and ensuring secure satellite communications. This aligns with India's broader efforts under initiatives like Mission DefSpace to strengthen its defence space ecosystem.

"Similarly, the aerospace culture led to the domination of air space by the US and European nations. And both the domains have a lasting impact on warfare. Military power was actually centred around this particular culture getting developed and creation of capabilities towards that," General Chauhan said.

"And today we are on the cusp of an era where space is emerging as a new domain of warfare, and it is going to dominate warfare. All the three primary elements of warfare (land, sea, air) will depend on space," the CDS added.

Key Aspects of Space Culture

Idea Generation: Space culture begins with generating ideas that lead to physical capabilities. The CDS stressed the importance of seminal research on warfare, development of doctrines, and strategies related to space.

Scope And Challenges: While the scope for developing space culture is vast, there is currently limited literature available on the subject.

Focus Areas: Space culture involves developing subjects like space laws, frameworks for space diplomacy, and creating institutions such as space warfare schools, journals, articles, and societies focused on ideating space strategies.

Military Implications: General Chauhan underscored the need for armed forces to establish dedicated space warfare schools to adapt to future warfare scenarios dominated by space capabilities.

General Chauhan linked the evolution of military ethos to domain-specific cultures, such as maritime and aerospace cultures that historically shaped global power dynamics. He argued that just as maritime and air power transformed warfare, space will similarly redefine future military operations across land, sea, and air.

The CDS called for repositioning India’s approach to space by leveraging its cultural respect for knowledge and research. He also reflected on how popular media like Interstellar and Star Trek inspire imagination about intergalactic possibilities while acknowledging the convergence of domains in modern warfare enabled by space technologies.

This symposium aligns with India’s growing focus on integrating space into its national security priorities, reflecting broader shifts in its space program toward defence-oriented goals.


The CDS concluded by asserting that space is not only a frontier for exploration but also an established domain of warfare. He urged stakeholders to collaborate in building robust capabilities to ensure India’s strategic advantage in this rapidly evolving domain.

PTI