EU IRIS2 program and Space Shield development

In August 2026, the European Union approved the IRIS2 secure satellite communications constellation to enhance European strategic autonomy. The project, involving a 15.6 billion euro investment from public and private sources, aims to deploy 348 satellites in low and medium Earth orbits to provide secure connectivity for government and defense sectors, reducing reliance on external providers.

Following this approval, European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius proposed a unified ‘European Space Shield’ to prevent the fragmentation of space defense into national projects. As the IRIS2 program entered its implementation phase, Luxembourg-based SES signed a €1 billion contract with Germany’s OHB to manufacture satellites for the system.

However, the concept of the ‘European Space Shield’ has faced pushback. In October 2026, a group of seven member states—Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, and Sweden—proposed a fundamental redesign of the initiative. In a document obtained by Euronews, these nations argued that the current proposal lacks a clearly defined scope and that the term ‘shield’ is misleading because it implies EU-led capability development.

The signatory states contend that the responsibility for the procurement, operation, and defense of military space systems ‘lies exclusively with the member states.’ Instead of centralized EU development, they advocate for a security architecture focused on protecting existing EU space systems through EU-wide coordination of procurement to integrate national programs while avoiding duplication.