Is a spaceplane Europe’s next military game-changer?

Europe should prioritise investment in disruptive technologies such as spaceplanes, according to Maj. Gen. Philippe Koffi, strategic lead for air, land, and naval combat at France’s armament agency, the DGA.

“A spaceplane is manoeuvrable, reusable, and flexible,” Koffi said on September 17 at the Space Defence & Security Summit. “It can deliver payloads in orbit, recover critical assets, conduct reconnaissance, and intervene against threats in space.”

France is moving forward with the VORTEX program, a collaborative effort between the DGA and Dassault Aviation announced at the Paris Air Show in June. VORTEX — short for reusable orbital vehicle for transport and exploration — is a four-meter-long demonstrator weighing less than one metric ton. Its first flight is expected in 2028.

The spaceplane will launch atop a small rocket, reach hypersonic speeds, perform atmospheric reentry, and test key technologies such as thermal protection systems. Koffi emphasised that VORTEX is not intended to establish a fleet of operational spaceplanes. Instead, the program aims to demonstrate technical feasibility through a public-private partnership, with Dassault and other industrial partners covering half of the costs.

While primarily a demonstrator, spaceplanes offer significant military advantages. “They could deploy satellites, sensors, and even weapons in orbit within hours or days, rather than months,” Koffi said. Spaceplanes also provide versatility, enabling rapid transportation, spacecraft servicing, and recovery of critical assets.

Another key feature is unpredictability. According to Koffi, a spaceplane’s ability to reach any point on the globe in under 90 minutes adds uncertainty for adversaries and can act as a deterrent.

Koffi frames spaceplanes as a “logical extension” of France’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a comprehensive system combining a next-generation piloted fighter, swarming drones, and a cloud-computing architecture for connected operations.

“To achieve air superiority, it is essential to detect, intercept, and act against threats evolving in near space — at altitudes between 20 and 100 kilometres,” Koffi said. “Within that broader framework, the VORTEX spaceplane can be the missing link.”

By Tamilla Hasanova