Germany's defense minister, Boris Pistorius, said Thursday that it's time for his country to consider putting "offensive capabilities" in space after revealing Russian spacecraft are tracking two communications satellites used by the German military.
Speaking at the German industry's Space Congress event in Berlin, Pistorius said the country must ramp up its investment in space security to counter threats from Russia and China, which he said have rapidly expanded their capacity for space warfare.
"They can jam, blind, manipulate, or kinetically destroy satellites," Pistorius said. "There are no borders or continents in space. Russia and China are our direct neighbors there."
Controlling the high ground is often a military imperative, Pistorius said, adding: "Russia and China already occupy important strategic hills and mountains in space—a threat we can no longer ignore."
"Satellite networks are now the Achilles heel of modern societies," Pistorius said. "Anyone who attacks them can paralyze entire countries. We know that the conflicts of the future will no longer be confined to Earth. They will also be fought openly in orbit."
Germany on the offense
Pistorius said Germany is "ready to assume more responsibility" for defense and deterrence in space, with plans to invest 35 million euros ($40.8 million) in space security through 2030. Focus areas include satellite constellations, ground stations, secure launch capabilities, improved cybersecurity measures, and radars and telescopes to track orbital traffic.
It's also time for Germany to "discuss offensive capabilities" in space, Pistorius said. This is a reversal of the country's long-standing policy against anti-satellite weapons.
Germany has historically relied on the United States and other European countries for many critical space capabilities, such as missile warning, intelligence gathering, and launch services. Germany's military has instead focused on developing its own radar surveillance satellites as part of a data-sharing agreement with allies.
Christian Mölling, the former research director at the German Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in 2022 that German politicians were content with this strategy.