Modern conflicts are already being waged in space, and the wars of the future will begin there, French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Wednesday as he unveiled France’s new space defence strategy.
“The war of today is already being fought in space, and the war of tomorrow will begin in space,” Macron said during a visit to Toulouse, the country’s space and aviation capital. “Let us be ready — this will be a condition for the success of military operations on land, in the air, and at sea.”
The French leader’s remarks come amid growing concerns over the militarisation of outer space, as major powers including the United States, China, and Russia invest heavily in satellite-based surveillance, communications, and defence systems.
Macron said France must be “prepared to protect its satellites and ensure sovereignty in space,” calling the domain “the new frontier of strategic competition.” He added that technological superiority in orbit would be as vital in future conflicts as naval or air dominance has been in the past century.
France established its Space Command (Commandement de l’Espace) in 2019 to strengthen its capabilities in orbit, including the monitoring of potential threats to national and allied satellites. In 2021, Paris announced plans to develop “active defence” technologies — including small, mobile satellites capable of inspecting or intercepting hostile spacecraft.
Toulouse, home to the French space agency CNES and the Airbus Defence and Space headquarters, serves as the heart of France’s civilian and military space programmes.
Macron’s comments signal Paris’s determination to expand its role as a key European player in space security — both independently and within NATO.
“The stability of space determines the stability of the world below,” the French president said. “We must protect this new domain to ensure peace, deterrence, and our strategic freedom of action.”
