NEW DELHI: After having been criticised by Parliament for several years for not considering the move to set up an aerospace command to protect national assets in space, the Government has started taking steps in this direction, Chief of Air Staff S. P. Tyagi said on Monday.

Declaring that his service was all in favour of the concept, Air Chief Marshal Tyagi said the Indian Air Force (IAF) had made a brief presentation of the concept to a combined group of officials from the services and the Defence Ministry. It was now preparing a full-length presentation after having been asked to do so by the Government.

"It is time for India to have an aerospace command because our assets in space will grow. We in IAF understand that they require to be protected," said Air Chief Marshal Tyagi at the second anniversary function of the magazine Force, which focuses on national security.

At a commanders conference in 2003, the previous IAF chief, S. Krishnaswamy, had spoken on similar lines but the previous Government, fearing inter-ministerial wrangling, did not encourage the proposal.

However, Parliament was critical of the Government for failing to take any initiative in this direction. After receiving unsatisfactory replies to their recommendation for setting up an aerospace command in the seventh and nineteenth reports of the previous Lok Sabha and the first report of the current Lok Sabha, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence reiterated that "it is necessary to protect the national assets in space but it is equally important to have the strategic preparation to counter any threat from outer space."

The committee appreciated the Government's stand that India had consistently stood for prevention of arms race in outer space to ensure that peaceful use of outer space, including space exploration was not vitiated by an arms race or introduction of new weapons system in outer space. At the same time, the committee recommended that the air headquarters examine the development of an aerospace command expeditiously and concrete steps be taken to set up the command at the earliest in order to prepare India to meet any threat from outer space.

Considering the meagre assets of the IAF and Indian capability in space, analysts believe it will take considerable time and money before such a concept can be put in practice.

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