US denies spying on India's A-Sat test, but experts believe otherwise

The Pentagon is seen from an airplane over Washington, DC. Pic/AFP

The Pentagon has strongly denied the reports that the US spied on India's anti-satellite or A-Sat missile test by sending a reconnaissance aircraft from its base in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to monitor the development. It, however, said that the United States was aware of India's first test-fire of an anti-satellite missile.

"No US assets were spying on India. In fact, the US continues to expand its enduring partnership with India, resulting in enhanced interoperability and stronger economic ties," US Defense Department spokesperson Lt Col David W Eastburn said.

Narendra Modi

Aircraft Spots, which monitors military air movements, had said that a US Air Force's reconnaissance aircraft from its base in Diego Garcia went "for a mission in the Bay of Bengal to monitor India's anti-satellite missile test".

This was interpreted by many that the US spied on India's A-Sat test. "I don't think that it implies coordination between India and the US," astronomer Jonathan McDowell said on the Aircraft Spots report. "This implies that the US intelligence community was aware of the test in advance because to some extent they're spying on India," he alleged.

"Everybody spies on their friends as well as their enemies. That's the way the world works these days. It would be surprising if the US were not detecting or observing the launch site and aware of activities preparing for the test. So one assumes that they knew it was coming," he claimed.

Air Force Space Command Commander Lt Gen David D Thompson told US lawmakers that the US was aware that India's A-Sat test was coming. "We knew it was coming because of flight bans that India had announced," he told members of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces.

P Chidambaram

'Only foolish govts disclose defence secrets'
Former finance minister P Chidambaram took a dig at the PM Modi's missile announcement. Chidambaram said in a tweet that the capability to shoot a satellite had existed in the country for many years. But, "a wise government will keep the capability secret. Only a foolish government will disclose it and betray a defence secret," he said.

PM Modi's A-Sat speech gets A+ from Election Commission
Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) has concluded that Prime Minister Modi had not violated the model code of conduct by announcing through a televised address the successful test of an anti-satellite (A-Sat) missile.

The commission gave the clean chit to Modi after public broadcaster Doordarshan submitted that the source of the feed of the speech was a private news agency and that it was not broadcast live. All India Radio said it had sourced the speech from DD News. The poll panel on Friday conveyed its conclusion to CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who had complained of violation of the model code. The panel said the section prohibiting poll-time misuse of official mass media had not been breached.

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