Germany to Spend USD41B on Army Presence in Space
The initiative forms part of a broader rearmament strategy that German authorities argue is required to respond to perceived threats from Russia and China. This push comes as the EU’s largest economy continues to struggle with what officials have described as a “structural crisis.”
Overall defense spending is set to rise sharply, with Berlin planning to invest around $582 billion by 2029. The buildup aligns with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s goal of transforming the Bundeswehr into the “strongest conventional army in Europe.”
Speaking in a recent interview, Major General Michael Traut explained that the planned acquisitions would involve more than 100 encrypted reconnaissance satellites, along with lasers, sensors, and other capabilities intended to interfere with hostile satellites and their ground-based control systems.
“Space has become an operational, or even warfighting, domain, and we are perfectly aware that our systems and space capabilities need to be protected and defended,” he said.
Efforts to limit the militarization of space have previously failed. Russia and China put forward proposals in 2008 and 2014 for an international agreement banning weapons in outer space, but those initiatives were never adopted, largely due to resistance from the United States.
Germany’s announcement comes at a difficult economic moment. The increase in defense spending is being rolled out during a recession, with the country’s central bank warning last year that the government is heading toward its largest budget deficit since the early 1990s.
Merz has acknowledged the financial strain, stating in August that “the welfare state as we have it today can no longer be financed.” He later called on citizens to work more, arguing that labor costs are excessive and productivity remains too low.
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