Breaking Defense
WASHINGTON — While Western military leaders for the past decade have been ringing alarm bells at efforts by Russia and China to develop anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, the European Defense Fund (EDF) is pursuing what it describes as a defensive capability that could nonetheless target adversary satellites.
The EDF’s latest funding round, based on bids gathered in 2023 and announced on May 16, includes nearly €6.5 million ($7 million) to develop an “Autonomous SSA Bodyguard Onboard Satellite,” nicknamed Bodyguard, that can track threatening enemy birds and, the spare announcement suggests, disable and/or destroy them.
