Europe builds something similar to Starlink / IRIS² architecture of 348 satellites and challenges of its deployment

With the development of the IRIS² satellite network, the European Union seeks to create an independent infrastructure for secure government and military communications and reduce dependence on Starlink. In its expanded version, this network will have 348 satellites and its first launches are scheduled to take place in 2029.

According to Ambassador Arjan, the reported restrictions on the Starlink service in Ukraine have once again highlighted Europe's concern about dependence on communication networks controlled by foreign companies. It is not clear who ordered the reported restrictions, but it highlights the importance of independent access to satellite communications.

According to Euronews, the name IRIS² stands for "Infrastructure Resilience, Intercommunication and Security via Satellite". The goal of this project is to provide secure and tamper-resistant communications for government agencies, military forces, and emergency services. In the next stages, businesses and citizens are also supposed to benefit from its services.

Contrary to popular belief, IRIS² is not simply the European version of Starlink. This project primarily focuses on secure communications and European communications governance, although providing broadband internet and covering areas without proper access is also one of its goals.

The final announced architecture includes 330 satellites in low earth orbit and 18 satellites in medium earth orbit. The European Commission has announced that this development will increase the capacity of secure communications for government users by 60% in the EU and 54% globally.

The German company OHB based in Bremen is responsible for the construction of 18 medium orbit satellites of this network. On August 31, 2026, the company signed a contract worth nearly one billion euros with the satellite operator SES. The weight of each satellite at the time of launch will be about 2.6 tons.

However, Germany's contribution to the project has been controversial from the beginning. The government of this country wanted more transparency about the participation of the German industry and its share of the economic value of the project.

A large part of low-orbit satellites is produced by the Belgian company Aerospacelab. This company is responsible for the construction of 264 satellites and the value of the announced contract is 2.4 billion euros. Airbus also builds at least 66 satellites for the military communications layer. This division of labor shows that IRIS² is the result of the cooperation of several European companies.

Germany is also planning to build an independent military satellite network called SATCOMBw 4. This plan is not part of the IRIS² project, but a national program to provide communications for the German armed forces, especially on NATO's eastern flank.

The most important uncertainty about IRIS² is the timing of its implementation. The launch of the first satellites is planned for 2029, but the limited capacity of European launchers, especially Ariane 6, could make the process of establishing the network difficult.

Starlink's new competitor showed strength; Registering the speed that makes the satellite internet competition hotter...

Starlink and countermeasures; Why is every new communication technology tackled first? / confront…