NATO is considering sharing satellite launch sites with Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, Nikkei reports, citing sources.
According to the publication's sources, NATO is seeking to attract countries to participate in its Starlift project - a network of more than a dozen alliance members designed to share the ability to quickly launch backup satellites into orbit in the event of damage or destruction of existing ones.
The newspaper writes that NATO fears interference in the operation of satellites or their destruction by Russia and China.
In May 2023, Nikkei reported that Japan and NATO plan to cooperate in space and cyberspace to counter Russia and China. The publication explained that although Japan is not an official member of NATO, it is considered a “partner nation globally“.
NATO and Japan have been developing cooperation since the early 1990s. Tokyo and the bloc cooperate in areas such as maritime security and cyber defense.
On April 16, the United States and its allies conducted military exercises to counter Russian nuclear space weapons. They simulated the consequences of a nuclear explosion that would disable satellites.