CDS General Anil Chauhan Highlights India’s First Military Space Exercise ‘Antriksh Abhiyan’

By A Staff Reporter

New Delhi | Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Monday revealed that India conducted its first-ever dedicated military space exercise, Antriksh Abhiyan, in November 2024. Speaking at the Indian DefSpace Symposium 2025 in Delhi, he outlined how the Defence Space Agency (DSA) led the initiative to test and evaluate operational readiness in the increasingly critical domain of space.

“What is the military doing about the space sector? I can talk about some activities—first was Antriksh Abhiyan,” General Chauhan said. “The Defence Space Agency successfully conducted the first-ever space exercise in November 2024. The exercise focused on war gaming threats to and from space-based assets and services, and identified vulnerabilities for the conduct of operations in the event of denial or disruption of space-based services.”

The landmark exercise marks a significant step in India’s evolving space defence strategy as the country prepares to counter emerging threats in the space domain, including the potential targeting of satellites, communication systems, and surveillance infrastructure.

With the growing militarization of space by global powers, India's proactive approach reflects its ambition to be future-ready in multidomain warfare. Analysts say Antriksh Abhiyan sets the stage for deeper integration between the armed forces and India’s expanding space capabilities, supported by ISRO and private sector innovation.