Macron warns outer space could become next battlefield

French President Emmanuel Macron has said the next military conflict will unfold in outer space during a recent address.

Macron emphasised that today’s war is already being fought in space, adding that tomorrow’s will also begin there, Caliber.Az reports.

"Space is no longer a sanctuary, it has become a battlefield," the French leader noted.

He said that Russia, following its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, had been conducting espionage activities in space, with Russian spacecraft tracking French satellites and widespread GPS jamming and cyberattacks targeting space infrastructure.

Macron also highlighted what he described as a “particularly shocking” Russian threat to deploy nuclear weapons in space, warning that such actions would have devastating consequences for the entire world.

Without offering specifics, he announced an additional €4.2 billion in funding for military space capabilities through 2030.

He noted that Europe’s space sector remains “fragile” and underscored the need to strengthen the continent’s own industry by ensuring its leading companies can compete globally. France’s priorities, he said, include developing next-generation launchers that are reusable, rely on low-cost propulsion, and deliver high-thrust performance.

In a veiled reference to the rapidly advancing space programmes of Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, Macron stressed that relying on any major outside power or private space magnate was “out of the question.”

He urged that Europe be prepared, arguing that space capabilities will be essential to the success of future military operations on land, in the air, and at sea.

In addition, Macron added that France is accelerating work on advanced early-warning systems in partnership with Germany, while also boosting space surveillance through the Aurore radar system to reduce dependence on other states.

By Jeyhun Aghazada