Germany’s military is gearing up to invest a staggering 35 billion euros (about 41 billion US dollars) to develop spy satellites, space planes, and offensive laser weapons to counter the increasing threats posed by China and Russia in space.
The core of this large-scale spending plan is to establish a military encrypted satellite constellation named “SATCOM Stage 4” in the coming years, which is expected to consist of over 100 artificial satellites.
On Monday (February 2), Lieutenant General Michael Traut, the commander of the German Space Command, stated in an interview with Reuters in Singapore ahead of an aerospace exhibition that this low-orbit satellite network will mimic the model of the US Space Development Agency (SDA) for communication and missile tracking.
Traut emphasized that since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, competition in space has significantly intensified.
He stressed that Berlin and its European allies need to increase investments to ensure communication security and possess the ability to defend against or render hostile space systems ineffective.
“We need to strengthen our space deterrence posture because space has become a domain for military deployment and even warfare. We are acutely aware that we must protect and defend our own systems and space capabilities,” Traut said in the interview.
To implement deterrence, Germany will focus on developing “non-kinetic” options aimed at disrupting or incapacitating enemy satellites rather than destroying them to avoid creating additional space debris.
These methods include electronic interference, laser technology, and capabilities to attack enemy ground control stations. Additionally, Germany will develop “inspector satellites,” small spacecraft that can approach and observe the movements of enemy satellites.
Traut explained this comprehensive strategy of opposition, stating, “You can launch attacks against the ground segment of the space system to prevent the opponent from using that system, or to send a message: ‘If you take action against us in space, we may also take action against you in other domains.'”
This massive spending plan is built upon Germany’s first “Space Safety and Security Strategy” released in November 2025, which highlights the crucial importance of space for the country’s freedom, prosperity, and security.
The strategic document details specific threats from Russia and China.
Russia conducted a ground-based Anti-Satellite Missile (ASAT) test in 2021, destroying one of its own satellites and generating over 1,500 trackable orbiting fragments and hundreds of thousands of smaller orbiting debris pieces. Russia also frequently deploys maneuverable satellites near the systems of other countries.
As early as 2007, China successfully destroyed one of its own weather satellites with a ground-based anti-satellite missile. Currently, Beijing is actively developing technology to use robotic arms to manipulate satellites and demonstrated “close combat” operations in orbit in 2025.
The document also warns that China and Russia support authoritarian states like Iran and North Korea in developing military space programs, which could lead to the proliferation of anti-satellite capabilities.
Traut also mentioned that Germany will prioritize local and European suppliers in its supply chain strategy to reduce dependence on non-European participants.
Defense giant Rheinmetall is reportedly in talks with satellite company OHB to collaborate on military projects.
Apart from satellite constellations, Germany is actively developing various cutting-edge technologies and aims to have “responsive space capabilities” to rapidly deploy, replenish, replace, or adjust space equipment in a short timeframe.
Germany is also working on reusable hypersonic spaceplanes that can take off and land like conventional aircraft, offering high maneuverability.
The German government emphasizes that establishing this space security framework is not only for national interests but also a crucial contribution to NATO’s collective defense. According to the strategic document, an attack in space in the future may trigger Article 5 of the NATO collective defense treaty.