Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Space will no longer remain a supporting element in future conflicts but could emerge as a central player in warfare, Air Marshal Narmadeshwar Tiwari (Retd) said at the Aaj Tak Suraksha Sabha, pointing to the Russia-Ukraine war as a glimpse of how satellites, drones, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems are reshaping the battlefield.
“Space will guide warfare in a very big way,” the 49th Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force said, adding that the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine had already demonstrated the decisive role of satellite communications.
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He cited Starlink as an example of how space-based connectivity can become a game-changer during a war. Launched in 2019, the satellite communications network now has thousands of satellites in orbit.
“If Ukrainians are able to fight today, it is because of Starlink,” Tiwari said, arguing that Ukraine’s conventional ground communication infrastructure had been severely damaged, forcing greater dependence on satellite-based communication.
He also highlighted how the technology has become a strategic concern for adversaries. According to Tiwari, Russia had also used smuggled satellite communication terminals in recent years to support operations, including the launch of drones into Ukraine. Measures such as whitelisting and restrictions were subsequently introduced to prevent such use, he said.
The development, he argued, has pushed major powers to recognise the importance of building their own satellite constellations, particularly in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
“The space segment will not be a supporter in the next war. It will be the main player in warfare,” he said.
The transformation is being accelerated by the convergence of multiple technologies, including increased computing power, artificial intelligence, miniaturisation and advanced optics. These developments have made systems smaller, cheaper and more effective while dramatically increasing the pace of military innovation.
Air Marshal Tiwari pointed out that satellite communication equipment that once required large tracking dishes has become far more compact. Modern satellite terminals can be roughly the size of a laptop and electronically scan signals without the need for large moving components.
This miniaturisation could enable complex networks of autonomous military systems, he explained. A small satellite terminal could be installed on an unmanned boat operating hundreds of kilometres at sea, allowing it to communicate directly through satellites.
At the same time, an unmanned aerial vehicle scanning for a target could communicate with the boat, creating an interconnected network of drones and autonomous platforms.
“UAVs and unmanned water systems are talking to each other, so it is becoming like a mesh,” he added.
That interconnected mesh of satellites, drones, autonomous systems and encrypted communications, the former vice chief suggested, represents the future of warfare, where control of information and connectivity in space could prove as important as dominance on land, at sea or in the air.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
