German military satellite plan fuels EU fragmentation fears
The Straits Times
March 24 - German plans for a 10 billion euro ($11.6 billion) military satellite network independent of a parallel European programme are raising red flags among some EU lawmakers over potential duplication, fragmentation of efforts and cost. Read more at straitstimes.com.
March 24 - German plans for a 10 billion euro ($11.6 billion) military satellite network independent of a parallel European programme are raising red flags among some EU lawmakers over potential duplication, fragmentation of efforts and cost.
Germany's proposed collaboration with Rheinmetall, OHB and Airbus is in addition to the bloc's 10.6 billion euro ($12.3 billion) IRIS² system, which is a central plank in its quest for strategic defence autonomy.
European Union lawmakers told Reuters that Germany's solo initiative risks undermining attempts to bolster collective defence capabilities as the bloc adapts to the relative decline of the U.S. defence umbrella under President Donald Trump.
"If Germany now builds a purely national architecture that is not integrated into IRIS², there is a risk of weakening European structures," said Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chair of the European Parliament's security and defence committee.
Germany envisages 100 low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites exclusively for military communications, while the EU project, which aims to deploy 290 satellites by 2029, is designed to establish a unified, space-based communication system.
Analysts say Germany's system will leverage technology similar to Elon Musk's SpaceX Starshield platform, which has been instrumental in Ukraine's battlefield communications.
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