Germany's Bundeswehr plans up to 1,200 satellites for communications and radar reconnaissance

The Bundeswehr intends to build a satellite constellation of up to 1,200 units that will provide both communication links and high‑resolution battlefield intelligence. The majority of the fleet will support the new Spock 2 system – a “Spacesystem for Persistent Operational Tracking” that combines radar and specialised cameras to generate precise situational pictures.

In parallel, the defence ministry is investing roughly €1.7 billion in the Spock‑1 radar programme, which centres on the SARah synthetic‑aperture‑radar satellite constellation. SARah consists of three satellites, the first launched in June 2022, with the full system expected to be operational by the end of 2026. German firm Rheinmetall and Finnish radar specialist ICEYE are developing the hardware, while a joint venture with Vantor supplies geodata and KI‑driven 3‑D mapping. With a fleet of this size, Germany would rank second only to SpaceX’s Starlink and among the five largest satellite operators worldwide.