Israel seeks leading position in space defense

Contents

The global satellite market, both civilian and military, is growing and with it the fear of threats. Due to this, US Space Command commander General Stephen Whiting, recently told a conference in Alabama that the development of anti-satellite weapons is high on the US list of priorities. According to him, such means, some of which are expected to be based on satellites of various types - are essential for deterring enemies and dealing with attacks.

Space warfare weapons are expected to threaten satellites, and thus could also damage photography, communication or any technology that is fundamentally dependent on space. Plans may also be uncovered to diversify the missile threats from space to earth.

In Israel, the public was told about the field when Minister of Defense Israel Katz said earlier this year that Israel aspires to be "one of the three leading countries in the world in the field of space offense," but those who have long been in the space arms race are the superpowers: the US, Russia and China.

Elon Musk's SpaceX, for example, celebrated an impressive milestone last Friday, crossing the 11,000-satellite mark in space, far more than any other space operator. Starlink's gap with the rest of the market is so large that, for comparison's sake, OneWeb is in second place with "only" 650 satellites.

Russia and China’s capabilities

In general, the field of air defense and missiles in space both inside and outside the atmosphere are intertwined, as seen by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Arrow 3 system, which intercepts ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere. At the same time, there is concern that powers like Russia will use their nuclear weapons capabilities to place them in space, and that the development of the laser field will soon also be used outside against satellites. There is also the option of disruptions using space, as the average Israeli is familiar with from navigation applications like Waze during wartime. These are divided into two: jamming - blocking communication between an operator and an app, and spoofing - disrupting satellite navigation signals.

Another player that has made no secret of efforts over the past 20 years to advance in the field is China, which concerns the US even more. Concerns about the Chinese are similar to those about the Russians on a professional level, but in terms of scale, China is many times more threatening than Moscow. While there are about 11,600 US satellites in space, there are more than a 1,000 Chinese satellites. Much more than Russia, which operates about 220, or Israel which has 25, according to "Orbital Radar."

Israel successfully launches Ofek 19 observation satellite

Israel Aerospace launches Dror 1 satellite

Israel is also in the frame

President Donald Trump’s executive order last year, designed to ensure US supremacy in space, devoted an entire chapter to space security and defense, including developing and demonstrating a prototype missile defense system by 2028 and examining the deployment of nuclear weapons in space.

Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shows that the US currently possesses about 3,700 nuclear warheads, compared with Russia, which possesses 4,400. China has about 620, much more than the European powers France (290) and Britain (225).

The threat of nuclear weapons and lasers placed on satellites in space sounds like something out of Star Wars, but US public statements illustrate how much of a threat is just around the corner, whether in the allegation by the US administration two years ago that Russia is developing anti-satellite nuclear weapons, or in official statements from the US on China.

The threats from space will only increase with the growth of the global satellite market, which Fortune estimated at $20.59 billion in 2025. In their view, the market is expected to grow this year to $23.17 billion, and with an average annual growth rate of 12.53%, it will reach $59.58 billion by 2034.

Participating in that growth is Israel, which in July and September 2025 launched two satellites into space: Dror 1 and Ofek 19. The first, launched with the help of SpaceX's Falcon 9, is Israel's national communications satellite, and is designed to provide an advanced communications solution for the State of Israel, including in the field of security. The second launch was a surveillance satellite to strengthen Israel's capability in the Middle East.

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 24, 2026.