Greece Launches Military Space Command and Plans 12 Satellites

Greece has officially launched its own military space command and is preparing a network of 12 surveillance satellites, as Athens moves to reduce reliance on satellites controlled by other countries.

The new Space Operations Command was inaugurated on Monday, 9 November, at Dekeleia air base near Athens by Defence Minister Nikos Dendias. It forms part of the country's "Agenda 2030" military modernisation programme and will integrate space-derived information into army, navy and air force operations.

The planned satellite network will include six optical observation satellites, three electronic signal intelligence satellites and three radar satellites, according to Greek media reports. The radar satellites will be able to capture images at night and through cloud cover, allowing the armed forces to monitor areas of interest in different weather conditions without relying solely on external image suppliers.

Greece has already acquired 16 dual-use optical satellites in low Earth orbit, but Dendias said that infrastructure is not enough for the country's security needs. He pointed to lessons from the war in Ukraine, where access to satellite communications became essential for military operations and disruptions had serious consequences.

"The lessons learned already show that space is a crucial domain for conducting military operations," Dendias said. He added that the Greek military cannot afford to depend on decisions by private foreign providers during a crisis. For example, obtaining a satellite image of a region of interest can currently mean buying it from an outside company and waiting for delivery — a delay of 24 hours can make the information useless.

Beyond surveillance, Greece plans to procure its own geostationary military communications satellite under the national MILSATCOM project. This would put the satellite, ground stations and communications network under Greek operational control. The country already has a ground station linked to the European HELIOS-II military programme at Tanagra and a satellite communications facility at Atalanti. Greece also participates in the European GOVSATCOM and IRIS² programmes for secure government communications.

The new command will bring together information from these systems and feed it into military command, surveillance and target identification structures. Plans also include an industrial component, with Hellenic Aerospace Industry hosting a facility for assembling, integrating and testing space equipment.

"It is absolutely necessary that information obtained by satellite belongs to Greece," Dendias said. Authorities have not announced a full launch timeline or total cost for the projects.