Thiruvananthapuram: India's defence research establishment will place greater emphasis on developing technologies that will provide the country with increased space-related security, according to the director general of the country's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Dr VK Saraswat.  This will include developing capabilities in the field of anti-satellite technology.

The Advanced Air Defence interceptor missile

"We have the building blocks...What is needed is technology to track the movements of enemy satellites, for instance before making a kinetic kill. We are trying to build a credible deterrence capability...Many of these technologies may never be used," said Dr Saraswat, who is also scientific adviser to defence minister, AK Antony.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the Indian Science Congress.

Elaborating, Dr Saraswat said, space security involved the need for a gamut of capabilities including the protection of satellites, communication and navigation systems and denying the enemy the use of his own space systems. These technologies would be developed as part of the country's totally indigenous Ballistic Missile Defence Programme.

Touching on other issues, he said, the DRDO would launch a national programme for developing tank propulsion systems. This would be taken up in association with R&D institutions across the country.

He also said the DRDO was building an advanced version of its interceptor missile with a range of 120-140 km. The missile interceptor is expected to be test fired in September.

These interceptors are part of the Ballistic Missile Defence Programme, which is expected to reach ''maturity in totality'' by 2014.

On the issue of the failed Agni-II ballistic missile tests, Saraswat said that there was no problem with the design of the missile. "There are no problems with the design. The problem is basically with the production quality. I won't say a 'slip' in production quality, but an 'oversight' at minute levels. We've to make sure that manpower at the production agencies is adequately trained," he said.

The Agni-II failed both its tests in 2009.

As for the much-reviled Arjun, Main Battle Tank, developed by the DRDO, Saraswat said that the Army was "comfortable" with the first batch of tanks, which were recently supplied. A second batch would be supplied soon.

He also said the locally-designed Kaveri engine would be fitted on the advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (MCA).