Germany to Create Satellite Constellation for Missile Tracking

In the coming years, Germany will deploy a constellation of more than 100 military satellites in low Earth orbit to provide secure communications and track missiles.

Major General Michael Traut, Commander of the Bundeswehr’s Space Command, stated this in an interview with Reuters.

The project, known as SATCOM Stage 4, also includes investments in intelligence systems and capabilities to counter hostile space assets.

Overall, Germany plans to allocate around €35 billion to its military space sector in response to growing threats from Russia and China, both of which are investing heavily in offensive space capabilities.

“We must strengthen our deterrence posture in space, as it has become an operational or even a combat domain. We are fully aware that our space systems require protection and defense,” Traut emphasized.

According to the commander, the new satellite network will be functionally similar to the one used by the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) for communications and missile tracking.

Traut also linked the escalation of tensions in space to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, after which risks to space infrastructure increased.

In addition to satellite communications, Germany plans to invest in reconnaissance satellites, sensors, and systems designed to counter hostile space assets, including lasers and equipment capable of targeting ground-based infrastructure.

Germany will prioritize domestic and European suppliers for the program.

Meanwhile, the country does not plan to deploy kinetic weapons in orbit to destroy enemy satellites; instead, it focuses on jamming, laser-based countermeasures, and actions targeting ground control stations.

In December 2025, the German Armed Forces signed a major agreement to procure space-based intelligence data from Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions, a joint venture between Rheinmetall and ICEYE.

Under the agreement, the military will receive data through exclusive access to a constellation of satellites equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) until the end of 2030. These satellites enable the acquisition of high-quality imagery regardless of weather conditions or time of day.