Germany Pushes European Military Space Command With Austria Switzerland Luxembourg

Germany's defense minister presented plans for a European Space Component Command and a multilateral space training academy at a meeting of German-speaking defense officials in Berlin. The minister said partner nations would be included in the design phase of the projects.

The meeting expanded the traditional German-Austrian-Swiss format to include Luxembourg for the first time. Officials discussed Germany's €35 billion military space investment that covers satellite constellations launch capacity and an expanded space command.

Austria's defense minister said the country plans to launch three military satellites and a test object next year. The satellites are part of two projects focused on imaging navigation and communications. The minister stated the satellites would be made available to partners and described them as important for communications independence during crises. Austria is constitutionally neutral.

Switzerland's representative said Europe faces greater dependence on non-European technology in space than in any other domain. A Swiss state-owned company was mentioned as a possible contributor to European projects. Luxembourg's defense minister highlighted the country's expertise in satellite communications and Earth observation.

Officials from Austria and Luxembourg referenced a planned cooperation agreement on satellite use scheduled for July.