Germany’s defense minister used an uncommon four-country meeting of German-speaking defense leaders this week to advance proposals for a European military space command. He urged close allies such as Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg to actively participate in shaping the project instead of merely joining once it is completed.
At a press conference in Berlin, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius revealed that Germany is working on a European Space Component Command along with a Weltraumakademie, a multinational academy for space-related training. He emphasized that partner nations would be involved from the beginning of the planning process rather than being handed finalized systems.
The gathering, described as the first “DACH+L” meeting, expanded the traditional defense cooperation framework between Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to also include Luxembourg. Pistorius used the event to highlight progress on Germany’s €35 billion ($40.7 billion) military space initiative announced last autumn. The investment includes secure low-earth-orbit satellite networks, military launch capabilities, and the further development of the Bundeswehr’s Space Command.
Austria’s Defense Minister Claudia Tanner confirmed that Austria intends to launch three operational military satellites and one test satellite next year, with contributions from Austrian startups. The effort focuses on two main programs: LEO2VLEO, a joint project with the Netherlands aimed at imaging and navigation in very low Earth orbit, and BEACONSAT, a low-cost Austrian navigation satellite developed for less than €1 million ($1.16 million). Tanner explained that the satellites would also support partner nations and stressed the importance of independent communications capabilities during crises.
Although Austria maintains constitutional neutrality, critics have questioned whether its growing defense cooperation with European partners aligns with that long-standing principle.
Luxembourg’s Defense Minister Yuriko Backes attended the DACH forum for the first time and highlighted Luxembourg’s strengths in satellite communications and Earth observation technologies. She stated that the country is ready to share these capabilities with allies and partners. Both Backes and Tanner also mentioned an upcoming agreement on satellite cooperation between Austria and Luxembourg scheduled for July, though few details were provided.
Swiss Federal Councilor Martin Pfister remarked that Europe relies heavily on non-European technology providers in the space sector more than in any other domain. He argued that no single nation could address the challenge independently, while also identifying the Swiss state-owned company Beyond Gravity as a possible industrial contributor to a broader European initiative.
Switzerland has also stretched the traditional interpretation of its neutrality in recent years by becoming more involved in European defense cooperation following the war in Ukraine. One notable example was the decision by both Austria and Switzerland to join the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative in 2023.
These recent developments suggest even stronger defense cooperation among Central European nations. The conference itself symbolized this shift by formally expanding the established German-Austrian-Swiss DACH framework to include Luxembourg as a fourth participant.
While the meeting produced only limited concrete outcomes — mainly reaffirming ongoing cooperation efforts, recognizing Luxembourg and the other German-speaking countries for securing second place in NATO’s Locked Shields cyber exercise under German leadership in April, and building political support for still-developing space projects — the broader message was unmistakable. German-speaking Europe is increasingly determined to establish itself as a significant actor in space, while momentum for reducing reliance on the United States continues to grow.
