Space Defence and Orbital Threats

Space is now recognised as a potential theatre of military operations. The United States formalised this concept with the establishment of the Space Force, dedicated to protecting orbitalised assets and developing deterrence and countermeasure technologies. Recently, the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle-7 (OTV-7) completed a 434-day mission, landing at Vandenberg Air Force Base on 7 March 2025 after experimenting with manoeuvres in elliptical orbits and testing advanced autonomy systems. This reusable vehicle, operated by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, demonstrates how the Pentagon aims for flexible platforms for long-term technology experiments.

Russia and China are not standing idly by: Moscow conducted electromagnetic pulse ASAT tests in low orbit, while Beijing upgraded the Yaogan constellation for anti-ship radar surveillance. These actions underline the risk of unprecedented 'space war-gaming', where a single ASAT test can generate thousands of dangerous debris.

Surveillance Technologies and Direct Energy Weapons

Hyperspectral satellites collect images in hundreds of spectral bands, detecting camouflaged materials, camouflaged vehicles and logistical activities with centimetre precision. European and national companies (Leonardo, Thales Alenia Space) are collaborating on the development of payloads that integrate AI for on-board processing, reducing latency in the generation of tactical alerts.

Orbiting lasers and pulsed microwaves are the future of 'soft-kill' space offence. Demonstrations such as those carried out by Raytheon in ground exercises show capabilities to disrupt or damage electronic components of hostile satellites without physically destroying them. The advantages are many: little space debris, remote-controlled operations and reduced resource consumption compared to kinetic missiles

3. International Cooperation and European Projects

To avoid an uncontrolled space arms race, NATO established the Combined Space Operations Centre (CSpOC) and the Centre of Excellence for Space in Torrance, USA, to standardise collision avoidance procedures and data sharing. The EU launched the IRIS² programme, a dual-use civil-military constellation expected in orbit in 2027, which will provide secure communication and continuous surveillance services.

In Italy, the Ministry of Defence finances projects on lasers aboard high-altitude drones for DEW countermeasures and supports the development of advanced ground stations for hyperspectral data management. The synergy between industries (Leonardo, Avio) and universities aims to position the country at the centre of the supply chain of defensive space technologies.

Source: https://militarnyi.com/en/news/us-space-force-returned-x-37b-spacecraft-to-earth/?utm_source=chatgpt.com