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The Price of European Military Space Autonomy

European nations are committing roughly $109 billion to military space programs by 2030, but the IISS warns that this level of funding falls short of true autonomy from U.S. capabilities. An extra $10 billion would close the most critical gaps for limited burden‑sharing, while full independence would demand at least another $15 billion plus heavy‑launch and counter‑space assets. The report stresses that fragmented national spending and weak coordination hinder progress, and that achieving genuine autonomy will require deeper political integration and industrial pooling beyond the 2030s.