NATO to Set up a Space Command Centre in Germany to Counter Russia and China

The North Atlantic Alliance will set up a new space command centre in Germany (Ramstein Air Base) to counter threats to satellite infrastructure.

Politico informs about this referring to the secretary general of the North Atlantic Alliance Jens Stoltenberg.

“Some countries, including Russia and China, develop anti-satellite systems that can blind, disable or shoot down satellites and create dangerous ruins in orbit … We need to understand better the problems in space and our ability to solve them,” Stoltenberg said.

He added that the establishment of a relevant unit would be agreed during a meeting of NATO defence ministers.

At the same time, German media report that the new space centre will primarily monitor space and collect data on possible threats against satellites. It is also possible that this structure will become a command post for defence management in the future.

It was also noted that the corresponding step of NATO shows increased attention to extraterrestrial threats. At the end of the last year, the Alliance decided to make space one of its military activity areas, along with air, sea, ground and cyber.

Meanwhile, Stoltenberg once again warned world leaders against attempts to militarise space: “Satellite systems are used in the world to such an extent that many cannot even imagine. Trade, weather forecasts, mobile communications and bank transfers – in all these areas we rely on satellites. Space is also an important area for NATO, given our capabilities in navigation, intelligence gathering, communication and missile tracking.”

To recap, in June this year, NATO agreed on a balanced package of political and military measures, including strengthening air and missile defence.

The day before, US Minister of Defence Mark Esper said that Russia and China are the main enemies and key rivals of his country. Therefore, due to threats from Moscow, the United States needs to increase its military presence in Eastern Europe, in particular in Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.

Bohdan Marusyak