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Modi's address to nation: India successfully tests anti-satellite weapon

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter that he would address the nation around noon and make a very important announcement. Stay tuned for the latest updates from the address

Image BS Web Team New Delhi
narendra modi

PM Narendra Modi | Photo credit: twitter @DDNational

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced that India had demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite. Addressing the nation, the prime minister said India's action was not directed against any country.

Shooting down a low earth orbit satellite is a rare achievement for the country, he said. The satellite was orbiting at an altitude of 300 km, he said, describing India as a space power.

Mission Shakti, which was led by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, was aimed at strengthening India's overall security, he said

PM Modi said "India joins USA, Russia and China with the capability to hit Low Earth Orbit satellite with an A-SAT missile".

Modi said India's motive in being a space power was to spread the message of peace, not war.


Modi said Mission Shakti is special for 2 reasons:
 
(1) India is only the 4th country to acquire such a specialised & modern capability. 

(2) The entire effort is indigenous. 

The prime minister had advertised his address to the nation on Twitter, calling it an important message.

"Do watch the address on television, radio or social media," he said, setting off speculation across the country on what the topic was likely to be.

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A-SAT is a first shot to fame as part the Strategic Defense Initiative, nicknamed “Star Wars”

A-SAT is a first shot to fame as part the Strategic Defense Initiative, nicknamed “Star Wars”, pioneered in the early 1980s by then US President Ronald Reagan.
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In 2012, the launch of the Agni V was the first step to developing India's anti-ASAT capability.

In 2012, the launch of the Agni V was the first step to developing India's anti-ASAT capability.
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Govt Sources: The satellite which was hit today was a micro satellite launched by the ISRO on January 24 this year

Govt Sources: The satellite which was hit today was a micro satellite launched by the ISRO on January 24 this year.
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MEA on A-SAT: Test isn't directed against any country. India’s space capabilities don't threaten any country nor are they directed against anyone. At the same time, govt is committed to ensuring country’s national security interests&is alert to threats from emerging technologies.
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DRDO chairman G Satheesh Reddy: We have mastered anti-satellite capability

We have mastered anti-satellite capability and we have today shown that we can hit satellites at long ranges with a few centimetres accuracy: DRDO chairman G Satheesh Reddy
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First Published: Mar 27 2019 | 11:44 AM IST