The CDU defense politician Henning Otte has called for increased research spending on hypersonic weapons and space technologies. “Hypersonic missiles can not only reach targets in Ukraine, but also those in Germany due to their range. Great efforts are needed to close this gap, starting with an increase in research funds,” Otte told the German Press Agency after visiting the competence center in Trauen near Fassberg (Lower Saxony).
Only with satellites will it be possible to detect hypersonic threats in good time and initiate air defense countermeasures. Otte: “The space dimension is essential for our defense. Germany in Europe must make a decisive contribution to this.” Hypersonic weapons capable of reaching several times the speed of sound are in Russia’s inventory. They are difficult to counter, also because of the short remaining reaction times in the target area.