Special Report: Chief of German Space Command outlines satcom, counter-space plans

An illustrative image of German Space Command's SatcomBw 3 GEO satellite. (Airbus )

German Space Command (Weltraumkommando der Bundeswehr: WRKdoBw) has been working on a new low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications (satcom) constellation programme called SATCOMBw 4, Major General Michael Traut, commander of German Space Command told Janes in an interview on 30 October.

The new programme has been “running for a while” and is in the conceptual stage, Maj Gen Traut added. SATCOMBw 4 will be financed through EUR35 billion (USD40.5 billion) of investment announced by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in September. Maj Gen Traut did not elaborate on the exact sum that has been allocated for SATCOMBw 4 or the timeline for it. “The minister announced we will invest by 2030. So, you can expect that programme to be started well before 2030,” Maj Gen Traut said.

SATCOMBw 4 will be interoperable with SATCOMBw 3, which is a system of geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites. The Bundeswehr's (German Armed Forces') SATCOMBw 3 was meant to replace COMSATBw 1 and 2 satellites, based on a July 2024 Bundeswehr press release. “That's not quite the case [any more], because those first two satellites [COMSATBw 1 and 2] haven't reached the end of life. It depends on the fuel reserves and, apparently, the electronics are working well. So, you could even think about life extension of those satellites,” Maj Gen Traut said. SATCOMBw 3 is expected to be launched within the next two years, according to Maj Gen Traut. Arianespace will launch two SATCOMBw 3 satellites onboard Ariane 6 heavy-lift launchers from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, the company announced on 24 September. Airbus is the prime contractor for the design, integration, test, and delivery of the two GEO communications satellites.