Space is the new frontier of war, officials say in change of tone

Military leaders from NATO countries gathered at the Space Defense and Security Summit in Paris to declare that space has become an active war-fighting domain—marking a significant shift in official rhetoric compared to previous years. German officials stated that “the rule-based international order in space is nearly over” and acknowledged space as an established combat zone. This represents notably stronger language than diplomatic assessments from the previous year’s summit. The military space sector is now the driving force in global government space spending. In 2024, military and defense spending accounted for more than half of the $73.1 billion in government space investment worldwide, with over one-third classified. More than 200 anti-satellite weapons currently orbit Earth across various altitudes, threatening allied communications and reconnaissance capabilities. Russia employs a comprehensive arsenal including proximity operations, electronic warfare, laser attacks, and cyber operations. Meanwhile, China ranks as the second-largest space defense spender at $9.3 billion annually. NATO faces cost asymmetry challenges, as offensive space capabilities can be significantly cheaper than defensive ones. Germany plans to develop a military space-defense architecture by year’s end, including a multi-orbit satellite constellation operational by 2029. Officials emphasized the need for rapid response capabilities—potentially launching new systems within 96 hours—and a unified space doctrine among allied nations. Source: Defense News — By Rudy Ruitenberg, September 17, 2025