Germany eyes spy satellites, lasers in military space race

Germany is weighing investments, ranging from spy satellites and space planes to offensive lasers, under a €35 billion (S$52.5 billion) military space spending plan aimed at countering growing threats from Russia and China in orbit, the country’s space commander said.

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Germany will build an encrypted military constellation of more than 100 satellites, known as SATCOM Stage 4, over the next few years, the head of German Space Command, Major-General Michael Traut, told Reuters on the sidelines of a space event ahead of the Singapore Airshow.

He said the network will mirror the model used by the US Space Development Agency, a Pentagon unit that deploys low-earth-orbit satellites for communications and missile tracking.

Rheinmetall is in talks with German satellite maker OHB about a joint bid for an unnamed German military satellite project, Reuters reported last week.