Statement by Ms. Rachita Bhandari, Counsellor (Disarmament), PMI to CD on India's ASAT test of March 27, 2019 during the UNIDIR Panel Discussion on Outer Space issues on the sidelines of the UNDC session on April 10, 2019 in New York
I thank UNIDIR for organizing the Briefing Series on Outer Space issues as well as the panellists for their presentations. Since there have been references made to India’s recent Anti-Satellite Test, I would like to take this opportunity to put on record the official position of the Government of India in this regard.
2. India’s Anti-Satellite Test of March 27, 2019 was a demonstration of our technological capabilities to defend and secure our wide-ranging interests in outer space. The test was purely defensive in character and not targeted against any country.
3. As a major space faring nation, India has made significant strides in developing a range of outer space technologies that also benefit other countries, especially fellow developing countries. India has sizeable space assets which provide the critical backbone for the country’s economic and social infrastructure; it is important therefore for us to have proven capabilities to safeguard such assets.
4. India remains opposed to the weaponisation of outer space. India has not, and will not, resort to any kind of arms race in outer space. India has been a consistent advocate of the importance of preserving outer space as a common heritage of humankind. We remain committed to maintaining outer space as an ever-expanding frontier of cooperative endeavour rather than conflict.
5. India supports the substantive consideration of the prevention of an arms race in outer space within the multilateral framework of the UN. We remain committed to the negotiation of a legally-binding instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space to be negotiated in the Conference on Disarmament, where it has been on the agenda since 1982. India has been an active participant in the Group of Governmental Experts on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space which concluded its session last month. At the 73rd session of the First Committee last year, India voted in favour of all resolutions submitted under the Outer Space cluster, including on the Prevention of an arms race in outer space (which we also co-sponsored), on Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space, on No first placement of weapons in outer space as well as on Transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities.
6. India remains committed to playing a leading and constructive role together with other partners to consolidate and strengthen the international regime for outer space that is universal and non-discriminatory, and which reinforces the safety and security of all legitimate space-based actors.
