On 4 May 2026, Allied Command Transformation (ACT) brought together NATO’s Permanent Representatives, Military Representatives, and senior political and military leaders to address how the Alliance can deter and defend in, through, and from the space domain.
Opening the discussions, Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, emphasized the urgency of the challenge, stating that “space has changed fundamentally and irreversibly” and calling on Allies to take action, adding that “today is the moment to act.”
The discussions reflected a clear shift in NATO’s approach: space is no longer simply an enabler, but a contested operating domain shaping overall advantage and Alliance cohesion.
Understanding the challenge
Setting the scene, Major General Devin Pepper, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans and Policy, underscored the evolving threat, noting that Russia and China are developing counter-space capabilities designed to deny the Alliance’s advantage. These systems are built, launched and exercised for warfighting in space. Participants examined a range of threats, from kinetic anti-satellite weapons to cyber and electronic warfare capabilities, highlighting the growing risks to operations, decision-making, and resilience across the Alliance.
Insights from recent NATO activities, including the Polaris Guard Space Deterrence Wargame and Short Notice Exercise, reinforced the need to better integrate data from space-based capabilities into NATO command and control, enabling faster and more resilient decision-making in contested environments.
From awareness to action
Discussions, moderated by Vice Admiral Simon Asquith, Chief of Staff, Allied Command Transformation, then shifted toward delivery. Describing this as a “pivotal moment” for the Alliance, he emphasized the need to translate awareness into action.
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Stringer, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, reinforced this operational imperative, noting that the first shots in any conflict will be fired in the space and cyber domains. He underscored the need to focus on key enablers known as the “4Ps”: policy, people, permission, and procurement. These 4Ps are required to build credible space capability and deliver timely effects.
Participants highlighted the importance of aligning contributions across the Alliance. While spacefaring Allies provide space capabilities and domain awareness, others can contribute by strengthening the ground-based infrastructure that connects, protects and supports space systems, improving cyber defence to protect space-based data, enhancing electronic warfare resilience, and supporting other redundancy measures.
The role of industry was also central to the discussions, with commercial providers delivering many of the capabilities on which NATO depends. Strengthening cooperation, in part through NATO’s Space Commercial Strategy, will be essential to ensure access and resilience in times of crisis.
Delivering capability
Lieutenant General Marcus Annibale, Deputy Chief of Staff for Capability Development, highlighted the need to deliver integrated, resilient space capabilities at the speed of relevance. ACT will continue to lead development of the Space Domain Awareness Programme, the Alliance Federated Surveillance and Control Programme (AFSC), and Smart Indication and Warning, Broad Area Detection System (SINBAD).
Through the NATO Defence Planning Process, ACT continues to translate strategic intent into fielded capability across the Alliance. The next Defence Planning cycle is expected to build a foundational NATO space capability layer.
Looking ahead
As the space domain continues to evolve, NATO’s challenge is not only to understand it, but to operate effectively within it. The discussions in Brussels helped clarify where further alignment and practical action are needed to strengthen deterrence and defence in the space domain.
The Chair of NATO Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, concluded the event by saying: “There is no credible multi-domain deterrence without credible space resilience. For NATO, the task is integration. For Nations, the task is contribution. For all of us, the task is coherence. We do not to seek conflict in space, we will not weaponize our imagination but will ensure that no adversary mistakes our restraint for weakness, or our silence for absence.”
As these efforts continue, NATO must focus on developing new capabilities that outpace threats before they materialize, ensuring it can operate with confidence in an increasingly contested domain.