Munich – October 27, 2026 -- More than 100 military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) leaders gathered in Munich for ST Engineering iDirect's biennial Defence Technology Day, where speakers agreed that European sovereign networks must be built to withstand cyberattacks, jamming and physical damage from the outset. Defence agencies, operators, integrators and technology partners attended, and 12 partners exhibited.
Ukrainian officer: resilience cannot be retrofitted
Major Andrii Kovalchuk of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said modern SATCOM systems must survive cyberattacks, radio frequency interference and infrastructure damage at the same time. Speakers throughout the day echoed that resilience has to be embedded in architectures, terminals, waveforms, operational planning and procurement decisions.
Airbus and ST Engineering iDirect frame sovereignty as control plus collaboration
Sarah Casenove of Airbus addressed national sovereignty within a united Europe. Keith Blanchet of ST Engineering iDirect tied that goal to secure networks and protected waveforms. Panelists said nations must be able to act independently while aligning on standards and interoperability, and that sovereign programs must stay adaptable as threats change.
5G NTN and multi-orbit terminals move to the center of network planning
Bert van der Linden of ST Engineering iDirect presented new SATCOM architectures and the growing role of 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN). He then joined Alvaro Sanchez of Integrasys for a fireside chat on turning NTN standardization into operational advantage. Panelists called for user terminals that support multi-orbit operation, modular deployment and rugged environments.
Participants said PACE planning (Primary, Alternative, Contingency, Emergency) must extend beyond SATCOM to include options such as UHF/VHF.
Eastern flank demands high-volume, lower-cost capacity quickly
Discussions on eastern flank defence, with the war in Ukraine as the reference point, focused on delivering high-volume, high-quality, lower-cost SATCOM fast enough to meet urgent operational demand. Speakers described drones as both a threat and a tool. Dave Davis of ST Engineering iDirect linked these priorities to defence solutions for deployed forces in contested environments.