France will use powerful lasers to blind satellites that threaten its own assets in space and plans to deploy patrols of “nano-satellites” by 2023 as part of its military strategy against enemies in orbit, according to defence minister Florence Parly.
“If our satellites are threatened, we envisage blinding those of our enemies,” she said on a visit to France’s air defence command near Lyon. “We will judge the moment and the means of retaliation, but it could mean the use of powerful lasers deployed from our satellites or from patrolling nano-satellites.”
France is the latest country to announce a military strategy for space. President Emmanuel Macron told military commanders on the eve of the country’s national day this month that France would create a military space command, to be based in Toulouse with a staff of 220.