India, France to launch Space Security Dialogue to protect space asset

India andFrance are soon set to launch Space Security Dialogueat the heart of which is protecting space assets like satellites.

The idea was discussed during French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian's India visit in April andthe visit of the head of France's newly created Space CommandMichel Friedling in March.

Friedling had visited India just a week after Aster X.

Aster X was space military exercises conducted by France which was the first-ever in Europe. AmericanandGermany also took part in the exercise. The space dialogue isthe first France is establishing with any country in Asia.

The development comes even as space is seen as the next frontier of militarisation. In 2019, 2000 satellites werein space, key for communication andother purposes. The US has its space force andseveral countries like India, Russia, China have anti-satellite weapons.

Space cooperation has been part of the conversation between the twocountries. During the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India in 2018, "India-France Joint Vision for Space Cooperation” was issued. During the April visit of foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, he went to the ISRO office in Bengaluru andan agreement was signed on cooperation in India’s first human space mission -Gaganyaan.

Both India, France have a rich history of cooperation in the field of spacesince the1960s with the construction of Sriharikota launch-pad with French technicalassistance.

India's ISRO and the French Space Agency, CNES have been carrying on various joint research programs and collaborating in satellite launches and joint fleets of satellites for climate sciences.

As part of the ongoing bilateral cooperation between ISRO and Arianespace, GSAT-11 was launched from Kourou(French Guyana) in December 2018, GSAT-30 was launched in January2020. France has been a major supplier of components and equipment forthe Indian space program.