Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India has shot down one of its own satellites in low-Earth orbit with a ground-to-space missile on Wednesday, adding that his country's first test of such weaponry is a breakthrough that positions the nation as a military space power.
Mr Modi, who faces general elections next month, said India was only the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon, joining the likes of other countries like the United States, Russia and China.
Anti-satellite weapons allow attacks on enemy satellites, blinding them or disrupting communications, in addition to being equipped to intercept ballistic missiles.