Englische Rede: Verteidigungsminister Pistorius beim BDIBundesverband der Deutschen Industrie-Weltraumkongress 2025

Nachfolgend finden Sie die englische Version der Rede des Bundesministers der Verteidigung Boris Pistorius beim dritten Weltraumkongress des Bundesverbandes der Deutschen Industrie (BDIBundesverband der Deutschen Industrie) in Berlin am 25. September 2025.

Mr Leibinger,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you very much for the invitation. It is my great pleasure to address the Federation of German Industries’ Space Congress.

In a way, thanks to you, I can kill two birds with one stone today.

For one thing, close relations between industry and the Bundeswehr are of particular importance to me. We have so many topics of common interest that we cannot meet often enough.

But this event appeals to me personally as well.

I am talking about a fascination that dates back to my youth and that continues to this very day. A passion for everything that challenges our imagination and that allows us to catch a glimpse beyond the “final frontier”. It is no state secret that I am a Star Trek fan.

Everyone familiar with the series knows: It is about much more than space and science.

It is about dealing with new things, about countering threats and, above all, about a philosophy of coexistence.

One of the key messages is: Our intentions are peaceful. We do not plan to conquer, we want to learn from one another. If we fight, it is only to defend ourselves.

This message is more than 50 years old and it encapsulates what drives us, too.

The peaceful use of space, cooperation, research and progress. Our passion for the final frontier is decades-old. It stands for a spirit of discovery, for innovation, for future.

Unfortunately, though, the reality is different: Space is not only an arena for science and visions. An increasing number of states are utilising it for an all-out expansion of their geopolitical influence. It is a place where conflicts and threats are very real.

We strongly support a rules-based order in space – as we do here on Earth. We strongly support the existing set of rules. In particular, the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.

However, given the way more and more states are acting in space we must also be realistic. We must be able to ensure our security and defend ourselves – including in space.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Space is a place full of possibilities, ranging from global communications to Earth observation, from weather forecasting to navigation.

At the same time, our dependency on space is growing day by day. Within a few years, satellite navigation has replaced the use of maps and compasses in almost all areas.

Bundeswehr basic training is one of the rare exceptions, and – for good reasons – this is not going to change.

Yet, there are few who have received an equally good training as that of our recruits. Today, logistics, aviation and navigation – let alone combined arms operations – are hardly conceivable without precise satellite signals.

What are the implications of a jammed satellite? Planes cannot find their route, ships are in danger, banks can no longer synchronise their transactions and our trusted pizza delivery service has difficulties finding the right address.

If someone loses their mobile phone on vacation, they are often more desperate than in case of a blackout.

This may sound amusing but only underscores how deadly serious this is: Satellite networks are the hidden hands behind our daily lives.

We all rely on data that is sent through the orbit. Any attempted interference, any GPSGlobal Positioning System jamming, any attack on a satellite affects not only the military or the space industry – it affects the lives of millions of people.

Satellite networks are an Achilles’ heel of modern societies. Whoever attacks them can paralyse entire nations.

We know that the conflicts of the future will not be confined to Earth. They will also be openly waged in orbit.

Russia and China have rapidly expanded their space warfare capabilities in recent years: They are able to jam, blind, manipulate or deploy kinetic energy weapons to destroy satellites. There are no borders or continents in space. Up there, Russia and China are our next-door neighbours.

Systems of the Bundeswehr have already been the target of jamming attacks. These attacks are directed against the military, as well as the economy and society as a whole.

Let us recall. Even before the war of aggression against Ukraine began, a Russian cyberattack on the ViaSat satellite network disrupted large parts our communications.

This had consequences in Germany, too: The operation control of almost 6,000 wind power plants was severely impaired.

Today’s threat level is even higher. The Bundeswehr mountain infantry like to say: „If you control the heights, you control the valleys.“

If we were to transfer what is happening in space onto a map, one thing would become clear very quickly: Russia and China are already controlling important strategic hills and mountains in space.
As I stand here speaking to you, 39 Chinese and Russian reconnaissance satellites are flying over us. Their observation results are transmitted in real time.

In addition, China is conducting highly agile and dynamic approach manoeuvres with its space systems. The air force equivalent of these tactical procedures would be aerial combat exercises.
What is more: Russia is deploying its reconnaissance satellites in close proximity to space systems of the Bundeswehr or of friendly nations.

Currently, two IntelSat satellites that are also used by the Bundeswehr are being tracked by two Russian Luch Olymp reconnaissance satellites.

I would be happy to have the purely peaceful nature of this behaviour explained to me.

This shows how close we have come to real threat situations.

A few months ago, NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Rutte expressed his concern that Russia might consider stationing nuclear weapons in space to be able to attack satellites. He added that this would be in violation of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. I share both his concern and his assessment.

Let me be clear: The Russian activities are a fundamental threat to all of us, especially in space. A threat we must no longer ignore.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Space systems have long been part of our critical infrastructure. They form the basis of our economic strength and our prosperity, today and in future.

The conclusion is clear: Germany must protect its interests, its security, freedom and prosperity in space as well.

Way too long have we considered space topics to be future topics. But the threats are already there. This is why, first of all, we have to speed up, at the political level, in the Bundeswehr but also when it comes to cooperating with industry.

Second: We need a whole-of-government approach. In space, everything is interconnected.
The players are interconnected: be it private service providers, government agencies or military systems.

The topics are interconnected: Communication, navigation or Earth observation are all civilian, economic and military issues at the same time.

We must stop looking at these issues separately. Old patterns of thinking, such as the clear distinction between “civilian” and “military”, are no longer helpful. Quite the contrary: they have become an obstacle.

Since there are no borders in space, we should also stop drawing borders when it comes to our common security.

We must understand that this is a joint project: for politicians, partners in industry and research, and the armed forces.

This brings me to my third point: We need close international cooperation.

We will be able to establish a credible security architecture in space only together with our European and transatlantic partners, our friends in the Combined Space Operations Initiative as well as with Operation Olympic Defender and of course within NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Four: We will need you, i.e. industry.

We will achieve nothing in space without the innovative power, the research and development activities, and the production capacities of industrial companies. This applies both to seizing the opportunities space offers and to protecting and defending ourselves against our adversaries.

Let me be very clear: We in politics want you to be successful. Because your success means security for our country.

With today’s Space Congress, the BDIBundesverband der Deutschen Industrie is making an important contribution by expanding their focus to include the security and defence policy dimension.

And I would like to thank you for that once again.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The lesson we had to learn the hard way a few years ago on the European continent also applies to space: Freedom and security are not a given. They must be defended.

We decided to act, even if initially we had to find terms to describe this historical shift.

Now, more than three years later, the people in our country are not only familiar with the terms “Zeitenwende” and “warfighting capability”. They also associate them with concrete political action.

Germany is prepared to assume more responsibility and to be a driving force among European nations. This responsibility does not end in the stratosphere – quite the opposite.

This is why we are establishing the necessary Bundeswehr structures to be able to effectively defend ourselves in space in the medium and long term. The Bundeswehr is an integral part of a national security architecture in space.

The term architecture stands for a resilient structure of satellite constellations, ground stations, secure launch capabilities and services. An overall package combining protection and effect.

To this end, we are investing a great deal of money. Until 2030, we plan to finance projects worth 35 billion euro.

The architecture will comprise a number of measures: We will make our systems more robust to withstand disruptions and attacks. This explicitly includes the cybersecurity of all space systems.
We will improve our situational awareness in orbit with radars, telescopes and the future employment of sentinel satellites.

At the same time, we must create redundancies by installing multiple, connected satellite constellations and we must also discuss offensive capabilities. For our defence to be effective, we must be able to deter in space, too.

Germany also needs secure, on-demand transport capacities into space. Our focus is on a mix of small carrier rockets enabling flexible deployment and, in the medium term, European heavy-lift launchers to be developed – and then to prevail – in competition.

And: We need an independent military satellite operations centre at the Bundeswehr Space Command. This is the only way we can maintain control over our systems and respond quickly in an emergency.

I am aware that we are taking on a huge challenge.

We must become more European in space as well: The stars are already on our flag, now we must join forces to secure our future in space.

The new architecture will comprise a stronger German pillar in NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization and in the EUEuropäische Union – it will complement existing NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization and EUEuropäische Union programmes.

At the most recent French-German defence ministers’ meeting, for instance, we agreed to closely cooperate on satellite-based early warning. Simultaneously, we will intensify cooperation with partners outside of Europe.

We succeeded in doing this with Operation Olympic Defender, which we joined in 2024. It is highly beneficial for us to be a member alongside the Five Eyes nations.

As part of the Combined Space Operations Initiative we are establishing the necessary framework in close cooperation with our nine European and non-European partners.

We plan to procure new satellite constellations for early warning, reconnaissance and communications. We will also employ dual-use systems, i.e. technologies that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

We intend to specifically involve industry: In future, we will focus much more on strategic partnerships and cooperative models. We rely on your expertise!

At an early stage, we want to unbureaucratically promote innovations of small and medium-sized enterprises and use larger companies as system integrators to involve small companies, including start-ups.

Another focus is on commercially available solutions in areas where such a technological shortcut makes sense. 

Our aim is not to develop everything from scratch but to catch up with what has been neglected for too long in an entire domain.

In a nutshell: We will combine innovation with speed and pragmatism.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I said before that satellites were the hidden hands behind our daily lives.

They help us communicate, travel, do business and live safely. Whoever attacks them does not just attack a technology but the very foundation of our modern lives.

The threat level is high and developments are rapid. We must face this reality – and come up with solutions.

In the many discussions I have it always transpires that Germany and Europe are indeed catching up. The Bundeswehr is contributing its share. We are investing in protection, resilience, innovation. Yet, we will not succeed in isolation.

We will only be successful if all stakeholders cooperate closely: politics, business, research, society. If we bring together trust, courage and speed.

Let us work together to ensure that Germany and Europe will continue to be strong and safe in space, too.

The Star Trek fans among you know: Captain Kirk and Mr Spock never succeeded in their adventures as lone fighters. They had to combine a wide range of skills and knowledge in a way that, eventually, the greatest possible success could be achieved.

With this in mind I look forward to your questions, suggestions or ideas.

I would like to thank you once again for the invitation – and personally wish you, the BDIBundesverband der Deutschen Industrie  and your affiliated companies all the best:

“Live long and prosper”.
Thank you!