22nd October 2026
The EU is expanding its planned satellite network to 348 satellites, with the first launches targeted for 2029. The aim is to give European governments and armed forces secure communications under European control, reducing dependence on American technology.
The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that satellite communications can be as important to modern warfare as aircraft, tanks and artillery. Troops need to exchange maps, intelligence, photographs and video, while commanders must be able to communicate with forces operating across large areas.
One of the most prominent examples is Starlink, the satellite internet network operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX. Its services have helped Ukraine maintain communications despite damage to conventional infrastructure.
But Starlink has also highlighted a strategic weakness for Europe. A privately operated American network can become essential to European security, yet European governments do not control all the decisions about how that network is made available.
That concern is helping drive Europe's plans to develop its own alternative.
IRIS² moves from plans to construction
The European Union's answer is IRIS², short for Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite.
The programme is intended to provide secure satellite communications for European governments, armed forces, security organisations and emergency services. It should also help connect remote areas where conventional communications infrastructure is limited.
The project has recently taken a significant step forward. In August 2026, the European Commission and the industrial consortium responsible for delivering the network signed an implementation agreement that expands the planned constellation to 348 satellites and brings the first launches forward to 2029.
The network is designed to combine satellites in low Earth orbit with others in medium Earth orbit. This multi-orbit approach is intended to provide secure, resilient communications for users with different operational needs.
The revised programme also includes additional capacity specifically for defence, security and emergency services. The European Commission says this reinforcement will increase secure governmental capacity by 60% within the EU and 54% globally.
The system will be developed by a European industrial partnership involving SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat, alongside manufacturers and other specialist companies.
This is an important move from political ambition towards practical delivery. But launching satellites is only part of the challenge. Europe must also build ground infrastructure, develop secure user equipment and demonstrate that the network works reliably under difficult conditions.
What could it offer the military?
The military objective is not simply to give soldiers access to the internet. It is to provide dependable communications that armed forces can continue using when conventional networks are damaged, disrupted or deliberately attacked.
Satellite connections can allow commanders to exchange information with troops in the field, coordinate operations and transmit intelligence over long distances. They can also support communications between ships, aircraft, headquarters and units operating in remote locations.
Security is particularly important. Military communications must be protected against interception, cyberattacks and attempts to disrupt the signal.
IRIS² is being designed with secure governmental users in mind, rather than relying solely on a commercial network intended to serve millions of customers.
However, Europe will need to prove that its system can provide sufficient bandwidth, low delays, reliable coverage and robust resistance to interference. Its effectiveness will also depend on how easily military equipment can connect to it.
Starlink already has considerable operational experience and a much larger commercial constellation. Europe is therefore not starting from an equal position.
How much is being invested?
The original IRIS² programme was valued at approximately €10.6 billion. The expanded project has been reported at around €15.7 billion, reflecting additional satellites, greater capacity and accelerated deployment.
The financing combines European public funding with investment from the industrial consortium and additional contributions from participating countries. The precise division of costs will depend on the expanded programme's funding arrangements.
The sums involved are substantial, but they must be considered in the context of European defence spending and the economic importance of reliable communications.
There is also a potential industrial benefit. Satellite construction, secure communications technology, launch services and ground infrastructure can support skilled jobs and develop expertise that European companies can sell internationally.
The commercial opportunity matters because Europe needs a sustainable space industry, not just a government-funded project that reaches orbit and then struggles to pay for its next generation of satellites.
Europe already has an interim solution
The EU is not entirely without secure satellite communications while IRIS² is being developed.
Its GOVSATCOM system began operating in 2026, pooling existing satellite capacity supplied by participating European countries and making it available to authorised government and military users.
This provides a useful bridge, particularly for countries that do not have enough of their own satellite capacity. But it is not equivalent to Starlink's extensive commercial network and cannot yet replace all the services that European forces might need.
There are also national programmes. France, Germany and Italy have their own military satellite capabilities, while the UK operates its separate Skynet military communications system.
That raises a wider question: can European countries coordinate their investments effectively enough to avoid duplicating expensive systems and ensure their armed forces can communicate with one another?
The EU network could become a valuable part of a wider European capability, but national systems and cooperation with NATO will remain important.
When will Europe catch up?
The first IRIS² launches are targeted for 2029, with initial services expected to become available in stages from around 2030. The network will then need to demonstrate its performance as deployment continues.
It would be premature to assume that Europe will immediately have a complete replacement for every Starlink service. IRIS² has a particular emphasis on secure government communications, whereas Starlink also provides widespread commercial broadband connectivity.
Europe's military objective is nevertheless clear: it wants the ability to communicate securely without being wholly dependent on a network controlled by a foreign company.
That is a matter of strategic independence as much as technology.
The real test will come when the system is operational. Can it maintain communications during a crisis? Can it resist deliberate disruption? Can different European armed forces use it together? And can it offer sufficient capacity when demand suddenly increases?
The answers will determine whether IRIS² becomes a genuine strategic asset or an expensive addition to Europe's existing satellite infrastructure.
Starlink has shown how much difference satellite communications can make in modern warfare. Europe has now committed to building a stronger alternative. The challenge is to turn that commitment into a network that works when it is needed most.