NATO launching an attack from space? Everything is already agreed

On the sidelines of a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, the 13-nation bloc agreed to continue the Northlink initiative to build space-based communications systems across the Arctic, using existing commercial satellites.

The plan includes "the use of communications satellite constellation services" to offer a reliable "multinational communications network system for the Arctic," NATO said.

NATO does not operate its own satellites, but after space was declared the Alliance's fifth battlefield in 2018, a dedicated space command center was opened at Germany's Ramstein Air Base the following year.

Russia, which also borders the Arctic, has recently stepped up its operations in the region with warnings of satellite jamming attacks in the area.

Denmark, Canada, Iceland, Norway and the United States control the Arctic territory and are members of NATO, along with Sweden and Finland who recently joined the Alliance.

They are all signatories of intentions to use Northlink, along with France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Separately, some 14 NATO member states agreed to launch the so-called Starlift initiative on Thursday to work on providing missile launch capabilities.

The alliance includes Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Great Britain and the USA.