National Aerospace Security Strategy – Strategic overview and key implications

Spain’s newly published National Aerospace Security Strategy represents a significant evolution in national security policy, expanding its traditional focus on airspace protection to explicitly include outer space. Approved in August, 2025, by the National Security Council, the strategy reflects the growing strategic value of the space domain, as well as the increasing complexity and interdependence of aerospace infrastructures.

The document offers a comprehensive diagnosis of current vulnerabilities, from orbital congestion to cyber threats, and highlights the need for resilient, coordinated, and technologically advanced responses. It proposes clear lines of action across various fronts: enhancing surveillance systems, investing in national technologies, strengthening public-private partnerships, improving civil-military coordination, and developing more robust national and international space governance.

Notably, it positions the private sector as a critical player in guaranteeing Spain’s aerospace security. The strategy also underscores the importance of achieving greater strategic autonomy through technological sovereignty and cross-sectoral innovation.