Germany is considering investments in everything from intelligence satellites and space planes to laser-based systems as part of a €35 billion ($41 billion) military space programme designed to counter rising threats from Russia and China, according to the country’s space commander.
European Industry Role
Germany will build an encrypted military constellation of more than 100 satellites, known as SATCOM Stage 4, over the next few years, the head of German Space Command Michael Traut told Reuters on the sidelines of a space event ahead of the Singapore Airshow.
He said the network would mirror the model used by the U.S. Space Development Agency, a Pentagon unit that deploys low-Earth-orbit satellites for communications and missile tracking.
Rheinmetall is in talks with German satellite maker OHB about a joint bid for an unnamed German military satellite project, Reuters reported last week.
The potential deal comes as Europe’s top three space firms – Airbus, Thales and Leonardo – are seeking to build a European satellite communications alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Traut said Germany’s investment in military space architecture reflected a sharply more contested space environment since Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Berlin and its European allies, he said, needed to bolster their deterrence posture by investing not only in secure communications but also in capabilities that could hinder or disable hostile space systems.
Inspector Satellites And Lasers
Germany will channel funding into intelligence‑gathering satellites, sensors and systems designed to disrupt adversary spacecraft, including lasers and equipment capable of targeting ground-based infrastructure, Traut said.
He added that Germany would prioritise small and large domestic and European suppliers for the programme.
Traut emphasised Germany would not field destructive weapons in orbit that could generate debris, but said a range of non-kinetic options existed to disrupt hostile satellites, including jamming, lasers and actions against ground control stations.
He also pointed to so-called inspector satellites — small spacecraft capable of maneuvering close to other satellites — which he said Russia and China had already deployed.
(With inputs from Reuters)
