25th Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Space Force

Honorable Jaak Madison underscored the escalating strategic significance of space for global security, asserting that contemporary life ranging from GPS navigation to mobile communications—is intricately reliant on satellites. While initially employing popular culture references such as “Star Trek,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and “Battlestar Galactica” to humorously elucidate the concept of space forces, he subsequently addressed grave concerns regarding the safeguarding of space-based systems from threats emanating from China, Russia, and other actors. Madison elucidated the perils of satellite destruction, GPS jamming, cyberattacks, directed-energy weapons, and space-to-space engagements. He presented comparative space investments, demonstrating the United States as the preeminent spender ($62 billion), followed by China ($12 billion), Japan ($5 billion), and the European Union ($2.6 billion). He emphasized the imperative for international collaboration among the United States, Europe, India, Middle Eastern, and African nations to thwart China and Russia from intensifying strategic collaboration in space, while simultaneously preserving technological and strategic advantages. He concluded by fostering awareness of space security while maintaining an engaging and accessible dialogue.