I recently had the privilege of attending the NATO Industry Forum, a landmark NATO conference in The Hague, where the Alliance introduced its first Commercial Space Strategy. It was a moment that marked a definitive shift in how NATO intends to leverage space-based capabilities within its broader defence architecture. More than just a policy document, the strategy signals NATO’s intent to integrate commercial innovation directly into the core of its collective defence operations. As a long-time advocate of agile public-private collaboration, I left the conference both energized and encouraged.
NATO’s new strategy builds on its 2019 Overarching Space Policy. It outlines an ambitious but necessary pivot: a recognition that commercial partners are essential not only to resilience and scale but also to speed and innovation in a contested and increasingly congested space domain. From my vantage point, this shift could not be more timely or more critical.
Recalibrating for urgency and scale
NATO’s renewed focus on readiness was underscored by its commitment to collectively increase defence spending by €800 billion over the next four years. But resources alone won’t win the future. What’s required is velocity and focused purpose. As was echoed across the sessions in The Hague, defence agencies and allied governments must move expeditiously, while also taking decisive steps to de-risk industry participation. That includes collaboration on long-term planning, removing regulatory bottlenecks, abandoning protectionist models that slow innovation and limit scale, and making commitments to ensure the capability is available when needed.
As someone deeply involved in enabling next-generation space communications for governments, enterprises, and remote communities, I see this as a call for pragmatic action. Agencies must work closely with industry partners early on to align requirements, test rapidly, and bring viable solutions into service more quickly. The battles of tomorrow won’t wait for perfect processes, and they certainly won’t be won by bureaucracy.
Building smarter together
What struck me most about the dialogue in The Hague was the clarity of consensus: no nation can go it alone. We need to build multinational solutions that are interoperable, scalable, and resilient. That means:
- Collaborating across NATO and EU lines to develop shared infrastructure;
- Mapping existing allied capabilities, and investing wisely to avoid duplication and fill capability gaps;
- Diversifying supply chains across the Atlantic to ensure redundancy and resiliency; and
- Standardizing platforms and specifications so that systems are interoperable by design, not as an afterthought.
These aren’t just abstract ideals; they are practical requirements. If each country modifies a solution to fit its own specific needs, we slow down progress, increase costs, and weaken our collective strength.
A role for industry at the center of planning
Another clear message: industry can’t be relegated to the sidelines. We must be involved in the planning process, from capability definition to operational testing. The call for more “defence incubators” resonated deeply, especially as the war in Ukraine continues to provide real-time feedback on what works in the field. NATO allies should embed commercial technologies into exercises and real-world simulations as a strategic pillar.
A space architecture for the Alliance
Perhaps my most pivotal takeaway is that NATO now formally recognizes the need for a robust, multi-layered space architecture. And that architecture must be built with commercial capabilities integrated from the outset.
This is where Telesat and our Lightspeed Low Earth Orbit (LEO) network can offer immediate and strategic value. Designed specifically for mission-critical government and enterprise applications, Telesat Lightspeed is not just a satellite system—it’s a resilient, secure, high-throughput communications architecture that will be globally available years ahead of many planned constellations.
Telesat Lightspeed is slated for service launch in 2027, well-positioned to address the growing demand for ubiquitous low-latency information exchange. This timeline is crucial for allied governments seeking secure, high-performance connectivity to address turbulent geopolitical realities.
Interoperability by design
Telesat Lightspeed was engineered to work seamlessly with other networks and platforms. We’ve taken an open architecture approach to terminal compatibility and network integration, allowing our system to serve as a complementary backbone to existing information management systems and other allied constellations. This means increased capacity when needed, seamless network failover, and dynamic bandwidth allocation during crises or conflicts.
The satellites feature onboard digital signal processing, with satellite-to-satellite and satellite-to-ground data routing, supporting traffic flows from any user terminal to user terminal and from any destination on Earth. Our software-defined payloads can deliver multi-Gbps performance to specific operational theatres, and governments can downlink data to their own Private Access Station (PAS) if desired, just as if using a sovereign system. All without having to build and maintain the full satellite infrastructure themselves and allowing users to maintain custody and security of traffic from end-to-end from origin to destination.
Moreover, our cybersecurity framework was developed with protection that approaches purpose-built military systems, with 24/7/365 network and cybersecurity monitoring, optional terminal location obfuscation, and narrow, hopping satellite beams that are inherently difficult to intercept or jam.
A path forward with purpose
We must collectively push for international cooperation and standardization now to avoid fragmentation later. The cost of misalignment is too high.
I believe that NATO’s strategy provides a credible path forward. By unlocking procurement, committing to multinational collaboration, and prioritizing commercial integration, NATO will place resilience, capability, and speed at the heart of its defence posture.
The era of space as an uncontested domain is over. Countries must find a way to protect their interests in space without having to go it alone. The future of space-enabled defence is characterized by integration, interoperability, and inclusivity. And it’s being built now.
