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German defense giants Airbus, Rheinmetall and OHB have joined forces to create their own satellite network for the Bundeswehr. The project, which has already been dubbed “mini-Starlink” in Germany, is intended to provide the military with encrypted communications anywhere in the world.
Main theses:
- Three German defense giants – Airbus, Rheinmetall and OHB – have joined forces to create their own satellite network for the Bundeswehr.
- The “mini-Starlink” project should provide the military with encrypted communications anywhere in the world.
“Mini-Starlink”. Germany is creating a secret satellite network
Three leading companies submitted a joint application to participate in the SATCOM Stufe 4 project, although they were initially considered competitors.
According to German media, this move came as a surprise to the German army's procurement agency.
An unexpected turn in the fight for one of the most important military projects – instead of competing, German manufacturers want to jointly create a satellite network for the Bundeswehr.
The project involves creating a constellation of at least 100 satellites.
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The German Ministry of Defense plans to allocate 8 to 10 billion euros for its implementation. The first phase of the system – about 40 small vehicles – is planned to be launched into orbit by 2029.
At the same time, the unification of developers into one consortium raises concerns about the final price of the contract.
Even representatives of the ruling coalition on the committee note that the lack of competition in direct contracts could lead to an overestimation of the project cost.