They say that in space no one can hear you argue. Yet, within the German armed forces, it is precisely around Earth’s orbit that a silent but nowadays far from negligible dispute has ignited: who commands the military space domain?
Investigations conducted by the regional public broadcasters Wdr and Ndr (respectively Westdeutscher Rundfunk and Norddeutscher Rundfunk) have brought to light an internal conflict opposing the Luftwaffe, the German Air Force, and the Cyber- und Informationsraum (literally Cyber and Information Space, known by the acronym Cir), the armed forces branch dedicated to cyber and information warfare, established in April 2017.
At stake are not only operational responsibilities but also a considerable share of the famous 35 billion euros that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (in the photo) has announced he intends to invest in the space sector by 2030.
ONE COMMAND, TWO MASTERS
The current structure already reflects a certain ambiguity. The Bundeswehr Space Command is based in Uedem, North Rhine-Westphalia, and is subordinate to the Luftwaffe. Here satellite images are acquired, military satellite communications are ensured, and adversary satellite activities are analyzed.
However, in an adjacent and equally relevant area, that of operational support through reconnaissance satellites, it is the Cir that exercises control. This branch, which brings together the Bundeswehr’s IT units and electronic warfare troops (Truppen der Elektronischen Kampfführung, EloKa), has the fundamental mission of gathering information for the armed forces through sensor systems. A division that, as noted by the journalists of the two TV stations, might at first glance seem functional but actually generates overlaps and tensions in the chain of command.
THE PRIZE AT STAKE: MILITARY SPACE WEAPON SYSTEMS
At the center of the dispute are the so-called means of action: offensive and defensive systems intended to operate in space or against space targets. Specifically, these include ground-based anti-satellite lasers, systems capable of intercepting missiles already outside the atmosphere, and devices to disrupt or neutralize adversary reconnaissance capabilities.
The Luftwaffe claims full responsibility for this segment, by virtue of what it perhaps bureaucratically calls its “dimensional responsibility for the autonomous military dimension of space.”
As early as May, a presentation was scheduled to General Inspector Carsten Breuer of an agreement between the Luftwaffe and the Cir, which established which systems would be assigned to each branch. The document provided, among other things, for assigning to the Luftwaffe the systems with which the German armed forces could blind and disrupt enemy satellites.
THE “INTRUSION” OF THE CIR
However, the agreement did not hold. According to reconstructions by Wdr and Ndr, Vice Admiral Thomas Daum, head of the Cir since September 2020, rejected the agreed draft, claiming exclusive responsibility for all sensors and all means of action in space for his branch. Not only that: according to the two media’s rumors, it has already been announced internally that the Cir intends to establish two battalions dedicated to space operations.
A Cir spokesperson confirmed to reporters only that “the definition of an overall space architecture takes place in close collaboration” with the branch itself, and that the Bundeswehr’s protection “from dangers arising from the electromagnetic spectrum is a fundamental task” of the Cir, expressly including the capability to “blind, disrupt, and hack adversary reconnaissance means via land, sea, air, and space.” Here too, they somewhat rely on formulaic phrases, but the spokesperson clarified that further details cannot be disclosed for operational security reasons.
TWO CONFLICTING LOGICS
The technical complexity of the issue helps explain why neither party is willing to give ground. Striking a satellite with a laser from the earth’s surface requires precise knowledge of the air situation to avoid interference with aircraft flying in German airspace: a competence historically belonging to the Luftwaffe.
At the same time, the use of electromagnetic disturbance systems requires not interfering with civilian frequencies and signals, an area in which the Cir boasts specific expertise. The two logics, rather than integrating, seem to conflict.
THE WORD PASSES TO THE MINISTER
The practical consequences of this “struggle for competencies,” as it is openly defined within the Bundeswehr, are not insignificant. According to internal sources, the ambiguity in areas of responsibility is causing delays in planning and procurement of systems considered priorities.
Defense industry representatives also complain of a often chaotic situation, in which they find themselves conducting the same negotiations in parallel with both the Luftwaffe and the Cir.
On the international front, the lack of organizational clarity risks penalizing Germany in relations with partner countries within NATO: in the United States, the Space Command is an autonomous armed force, while in France and the United Kingdom space units are integrated into their respective air forces.
To break the deadlock, according to internal observers, a decision is needed that bypasses intermediate levels and reaches at least the General Inspector, if not directly the minister. Pistorius, for his part, recently offered a guiding signal, speaking in Berlin at the 2026 Conference of Air and Space Force Chiefs, before representatives of thirty nations. “Just as on Earth, we must also be able to guarantee our security and defend ourselves in space,” the minister declared, adding that the Luftwaffe is “implementing the strategic ambition for space as an operational theater, as outlined in the federal government’s space security strategy published last year.”
An explicit recognition, then, of the air force’s leading role in the new domain. It remains to be seen whether the minister’s words will be enough to close a game that, at least until the scoop by the two TV stations, has been played mainly in the corridors.
