Germany is weighing a sweeping expansion of its military space capabilities under a proposed €35 billion spending plan aimed at countering rising threats from Russia and China in orbit, the country’s space commander said.
The plan includes potential investments in intelligence-gathering satellites, space planes and non-kinetic offensive systems such as lasers, as Berlin seeks to adapt to what officials describe as an increasingly contested and militarised space environment.
Encrypted Satellite Network Planned
As part of the programme, Germany plans to build an encrypted military satellite constellation of more than 100 spacecraft, known as SATCOM Stage 4, over the coming years. The system would support secure communications and mirror the architecture used by the U.S. Space Development Agency, which deploys low-Earth-orbit satellites for communications and missile tracking.
Michael Traut, head of German Space Command, said the constellation would strengthen Germany’s resilience and interoperability with allies at a time when space assets are becoming central to modern military operations.
Industry Partnerships and European Ambitions
The announcement comes as defence contractor Rheinmetall is in discussions with German satellite manufacturer OHB about a joint bid for an unnamed German military satellite project, according to a Reuters report last week.
At the same time, Europe’s largest space companies — Airbus, Thales and Leonardo — are exploring ways to develop a European satellite communications alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink, underscoring growing strategic concerns over reliance on foreign-controlled systems.
Traut said Germany would prioritise domestic and European suppliers, including both small and large firms, as it rolls out its military space architecture.
Deterrence in an Increasingly Contested Domain
Germany’s push reflects a shift in security thinking since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Traut said, adding that European nations must strengthen deterrence beyond traditional land, sea and air domains.
Space, he said, has become an operational — and potentially warfighting — domain that requires active protection.
Germany does not intend to deploy destructive weapons in orbit that could create debris, Traut stressed. Instead, the focus would be on non-kinetic capabilities such as jamming, lasers and actions targeting ground-based infrastructure that supports adversary satellites.
Inspector Satellites and Non-Kinetic Tools
Traut also highlighted the growing use of so-called inspector satellites — small, manoeuvrable spacecraft capable of operating in close proximity to other satellites — noting that both Russia and China have already deployed such systems.
He said Germany is examining a broad range of options across the electromagnetic and optical spectrum, including lasers and other systems designed to disrupt or deny adversary space capabilities without escalating into destructive conflict.
The aim, Traut said, is to signal that hostile actions in space could invite responses across multiple domains, reinforcing deterrence while avoiding irreversible damage to the orbital environment.
