India's race to militarise space

Book review of Final Frontier: India and Space Security

On March 27, 2019, when newsrooms were told that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to deliver an unexpected address to the nation, the joke was to scurry to the nearest ATM and withdraw as much cash as possible. The demonetisation-inspired joke turned out to be something else. The objective of this particular address was to announce India’s Anti Satellite Missile (ASAT) test, the first offensive military measure in space by India in its independent history. Mr Modi’s choice of an unexpected “address to the nation” mode of communicating this achievement was steeped in significance beyond impending election dynamics. Prime ministers