Germany is looking to be more innovative going forward with its military space strategy by building its own next generation military space system, SAR-Lupe.
Brig. General Martin Schelleis, assistant chief of staff for concepts and operations for the German Federal Ministry of Defense discusses the issues facing the German military in changing its space landscape.

Space Situational Awareness was a key talking point at MilSpace in Paris with talk of a more global approach. Is progress being made?

Schelleis: In view of the lively discussions at MilSpace, it is obvious that we are far away from having some kind of global system or global system of systems for SSA (Space Situational Awareness). SSA is of national interest although at least no European nation can afford a whole SSA system by itself. Therefore a cooperative approach is essential to mitigate the deficit, but you need to know exactly how the cooperation will work. For example, do nations want to have a completely integrated system? To answer questions like this a framework addressing issues such as data policy and classification needs to be developed. I don’t see that this framework is in place already. From my point of view this is a political issue, but I believe that at least for the foreseeable future there will remain some kind of national capabilities, at least for the nations that can afford it.

How does Germany view the SSA issue?

Schelleis: It is essential to know what is going on in space in order to protect your own assets. Space debris is a major security and safety concern, not just from a military perspective. If a space operator doesn’t tackle this problem, he is putting his own assets at risk. Hence, SSA is really the essential prerequisite for all responsible activities in space.

How has a change in the leadership of the United States and the economic shift affected German military space policy?

Schelleis: I believe it is fair to say that from what we have seen and heard from President Obama. so far there will likely be an even closer c-operation between the United States and others. Germany strongly supports dialogue and is looking forward to having more cooperation with the United States. This does not contradict but complements our current support for an autonomous European SSA system. It will make cooperation with the United States easier.
The eventual effect of the financial crisis is quite difficult to judge today. But the pressure on budgets especially in terms of the military will probably increase, rather than decrease. It will be even more challenging to justify investment and resources into space assets. Therefore, our task is to increase the awareness of the public for space and its security implications. Modern life without using space is hardly imaginable today and is depending on the assured availability of satellites, e.g. communications systems. We need to increase awareness, not only among the public in general, but also among decision makers in particular, to ensure appropriate attention for these issues.

Why does Germany need to have its own next generation military satellite system?

Schelleis: The availability of strategic reconnaissance data is of utmost importance for our decision makers and for mission planning purposes. The SAR-Lupe system is our first military owned satellite system and a good example of cooperation. Right from the beginning it was intended to use SAR-Lupe for a cooperation with other European systems. For example, we are exchanging data and information with France. Our synthetic aperture radar (SAR) capability is complementary to the French space-based optical capability. There is no need for Germany to have a space-based optical reconnaissance capability. There is also no need for France to have a SAR capability in space. From my point of view, this example could outline a way ahead for multinational cooperation. If nations don’t duplicate efforts, you can come up with very creative solutions. A mid-sized nation like Germany needs its own national capabilities, but is equally dependent on cooperation with partners.

Do the jigsaw pieces in terms of national military satellite systems fit together in Europe?

Schelleis: It would be most helpful if there was a common understanding of requirements in Europe, moderated, for example, by the European Defence Agency. This would greatly help to achieve technical and procedural interoperability. Then the pieces would fit. Right now, there is mixture of different capabilities, with some dysfunctionalities. I pointed out where cooperation works well, such as with Germany and France, but that is not always the case.

Has there been a sea change in the German military’s attitude towards the importance of space assets?

Schelleis: Yes. I believe most people nowadays have a much more objective view of the importance of space assets than in the past. The German military understands the practical benefits of space assets especially in a network-centric environment. It is common understanding that space is a crucial element for many of our activities already with even growing relevance in the future.

What would you say are the key challenges for the German military over the next two years?

Schelleis: The key challenge related to space is to sharpen the national awareness about the use of space and its significance for national as well as international security. The emphasis of German activities in space has been and will continue to be on civilian use. However, we see so many striking examples of space relevance for safety and national security. Therefore, a comprehensive approach is required to address all aspects of space security, and this needs to be understood widely.