European Space Shield (ESS): Extending Europe’s Defence Architecture into Orbit

The European Space Shield (ESS) represents the space-based pillar of Europe’s emerging system of defence and deterrence, conceived under the Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030 as the logical culmination of the Union’s multi-domain integration strategy. Its creation responds to a rapidly evolving threat environment in which the boundaries between earth, air, and orbit have dissolved. The war in Ukraine has made visible the centrality of space to modern warfare — from satellite navigation and encrypted communication to real-time intelligence and targeting support. It has also shown that space infrastructures, once perceived as neutral enablers of civilian progress, are now strategic assets subject to kinetic attacks, cyber intrusions, and electronic interference. The White Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030 defines the ESS as an initiative to guarantee the continuity and protection of Europe’s critical systems, including Galileo, Copernicus, and IRIS², while strengthening Europe’s capacity to act autonomously in defence, intelligence, and crisis response. By extending deterrence into the orbital domain, the ESS ensures that the stability of Europe’s political and military decision-making no longer depends on external providers or unsecured commercial networks. It transforms space from a service infrastructure into a domain of strategic resilience, establishing the institutional and industrial foundations for Europe’s security in the 21st century.