Germany prepares a “military Starlink”: Rheinmetall and OHB engaged on a sovereign satellite tv for pc community | EUROtoday

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Berlin accelerates in navy house and opens the way in which to a brand new European strategic infrastructure. According to what was reported by the Financial Times, the challenge is meant to ensure the Bundeswehr a protected and autonomous system, comparable in capability to the Starlink community developed by SpaceX.

The discussions between the 2 industrial teams are nonetheless in a preliminary section, however they’re a part of a context of sturdy enlargement of public spending: Berlin has introduced a 35 billion euro plan for navy house applied sciences, with the intention of strengthening operational capabilities and lowering dependence on non-European suppliers, primarily US ones.

The future system – described by navy circles as an actual “Starlink for the Bundeswehr” – ought to encompass a constellation of LEO satellites able to guaranteeing resilient and safe communications for navy and intelligence operations. An infrastructure thought of essential particularly in gentle of the teachings discovered from the battle in Ukraine, the place business satellite tv for pc techniques have demonstrated a decisive position in sustaining communications on the battlefield even in excessive circumstances.

According to Armin Fleischmann, house coordinator of a division of the German armed forces, the challenge will probably be developed “mainly with German companies” and could have NATO’s jap flank as its operational precedence. Germany is the truth is strengthening its navy presence in Lithuania, the place the creation of a everlasting brigade of 5,000 troopers is deliberate. The technical specs of this system have already been outlined and the competent authorities are engaged on launching the tender.

For Rheinmetall, traditionally specialised in tanks, artillery and ammunition, house represents a brand new frontier of development. At the tip of final 12 months the group obtained its first massive contract within the sector, value as much as 2 billion euros, for the manufacturing of radar satellites in collaboration with Finnish Iceye. Radar know-how permits surveillance actions even within the presence of clouds, dangerous climate or in the course of the evening, and is taken into account notably appropriate for navy makes use of.