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Military Satellites - 2023

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Military Satellites by Country 2024

The very first country to put a satellite into space was the Soviet Union, which is modern-day Russia. When the Soviet Union launched a satellite into space, it kicked off the Space Race. A satellite is a body that orbits a planet. Typically, it is used to refer to man-made objects, but it can include other objects as well. For example, the Moon is a satellite of the Earth. Russia was also the very first country to put a man into space, but the United States put an end to the Space Race when it was the first country to put a man on the moon. Now, there are lots of countries that have satellites in space.

Country
Military Satellites - 2023
United States247
China157
Russia110
France17
Israel12
Italy10
India9
Germany8
United Kingdom6
Spain4

Which Country has the Most Military Satellites?

Even though Russia was the first country to put a satellite into space, the United States has the most military satellites in space today. There were a lot of United States military satellite projects that were started in the 1950s. Now, there are 123 military satellites run by the United States that orbit the Earth. Today, military satellites play a significant role. Many of them are responsible for taking pictures of various military installations all over the world. Pictures from military satellites can be used to monitor the movement of troops, helping countries respond accordingly. It is not unusual for the United States to collect information using military satellites and share it with other countries.

Does Russia Have a Lot of Military Satellites?

Yes, Russia has a lot of military satellites as well. The very first satellite they put into space, Sputnik, was used as a communication satellite. Now, Russia has 74 military satellites, with many of them launching in the 1960s. Many of them are used for the same purposes that the United States uses military satellites. For example, Russia uses its military satellites to take pictures of troop locations all over the world. Russia also uses its military satellites for GPS purposes. Russia is planning on launching more military satellites, but it has had some economic difficulties related to its satellite programs. There are also Russian satellites that can be used to shoot down missiles that might be launched by other countries.

Do Other Countries Have Military Satellites?

Yes, there are plenty of other countries that have military satellites as well. Just about every major country on Earth has military satellites, but the three countries that have the most military satellites are the United States, Russia, and the People's Republic of China. China has a total of 68 military satellites, and there is no other country on Earth that has more than eight. For example, France and Israel each have a military satellite. There are a handful of countries that have seven military satellites, including India, the United Kingdom, and Germany. A lot of Western countries do not have a lot of military satellites because they use information from the United States.

40 Rows

Country
Military Satellites - 2023
Total Satellites (Any Purpose) - 2023
Satellite Usage - 2023
Shared with Other Countries - 2023
United States2475,176
  • 205 Military
  • 6 Military/Civil
  • 36 Military/Commercial
  • 78 Government/Commercial
  • 20 Government/Civil
  • 26 Civil
  • 1 Civil/Commercial
  • 4733 Commercial
  • 71 Government
  • w Argentina 6 Commercial
  • w Canada 1 Commercial
  • w Canada/Japan 1 Government
  • w France 1 Government
  • w Germany 2 Government
  • w India/Singapore/Taiwan 1 Civil/Government w Japan 3 Commercial and 2 Government
  • w Japan/Brazil 1 Government
  • w Poland 1 Commercial
  • w United Kingdom/Italy 1 Government/Civil
China157623
  • 107 Military
  • 50 Military/Government
  • 32 Civil
  • 210 Commercial
  • 217 Government
  • 1 Government/Civil
  • 6 Government/Commercial
  • w Brazil 2 Government
  • w France 2 Commercial
  • w Italy 1 Government
Russia110181
  • 76 Military
  • 34 Military/Commercial
  • 3 Government/Commercial
  • 1 Government/Civil
  • 9 Civil
  • 1 Civil/Government
  • 39 Commercial
  • 18 Government
France1750
  • 14 Military 2 Government/Military
  • 4 Civil
  • 23 Commercial
  • 4 Government
  • w Belgium/Sweden 2 Commercial
  • w Israel 1 Government
  • w Italy: 1 Government, 1 Military, 1 Government/Military
  • w Italy/Belgium/Spain/Greece 2 Military
Israel1229
  • 4 Military/Commercial
  • 8 Military
  • 2 Civil
  • 12 Commercial
  • 3 Government
Italy1019
  • 2 Military
  • 1 Military/Civil 6 Military/Government
  • 1 Military/Commercial
  • 3 Civil
  • 2 Commercial
  • 1 Government
  • 2 w/ France, 2 w/ France/Belgium/Spain/Greece
India962
  • 2 Civil
  • 1 Commercial
  • 50 Government
  • 1 Government/Commercial
  • 8 Military
  • w Canada 1 Government
  • w France 2 Government
Germany847
  • 8 Military
  • 16 Civil
  • 13 Commercial
  • 6 Government
  • 3 Government/Civil
  • 1 Government/Commercial
United Kingdom6653
  • 6 Military
  • 1 Government
  • 2 Government/Commercial
  • 644 Commercial
  • w Netherlands 1 Commercial
Spain424
  • 1 Military
  • 1 Military/Commercial
  • 1 Military/Government
  • 1 Government/Commercial/Military
  • 1 Civil
  • 12 Commercial
  • 1 Commercial/Civil
  • 6 Government
Australia423
  • 3 Civil/Military
  • 19 Commercial
  • 1 Military/Commercial
Mexico37
  • 2 Military
  • 1 Government/Military
  • 1 Civil
  • 1 Commercial
  • 2 Government
United Arab Emirates313
  • 1 Military
  • 2 Military/Commercial
  • 2 Civil
  • 3 Commercial
  • 5 Government
Norway312
  • 3 Military
  • 3 Commercial
  • 6 Government
Japan288
  • 1 Military
  • 1 Commercial/Military
  • 18 Civil
  • 35 Commercial
  • 33 Government
  • w Singapore 1 Commercial
Iran22
  • Military
Turkey214
  • 2 Military
  • 3 Civil
  • 7 Commercial
  • 1 Commercial/Civil
  • 1 Government
Thailand27
  • 2 Military
  • 1 Civil
  • 3 Commercial
  • 1 Government
Colombia22
  • Military
South Korea221
  • 1 Military
  • 1 Military/Commercial
  • 5 Civil
  • 3 Commercial
  • 7 Government
  • 4 Government/Commercial
Brazil115
  • 1 Commercial/Military
  • 9 Commercial
  • 3 Government
  • 1 Government/Civil
Egypt17
  • 1 Military/Commercial
  • 6 Government
Canada160
  • 1 Military
  • 1 Civil
  • 46 Commercial
  • 8 Government
  • 4 Government/Civil
Chile14
  • 1 Government/Military
  • 2 Civil
  • 1 Civil/Government
Sweden13
  • 1 Military
  • 1 Commercial
  • 1 Government
Denmark16
  • 1 Military
  • 2 Civil
  • 2 Commercial
  • 1 Government
Qatar1
  • 1 Military/Commercial
Luxembourg157
  • 1 Government/Military
  • 56 Commercial
Indonesia7
  • Government
Ethiopia2
  • Government
South Africa5
  • 2 Civil
  • 3 Government
Malaysia4
  • 3 Commercial
  • 1 Government
Kazakhstan6
  • 1 Civil
  • 3 Commercial
  • 2 Government
Ecuador1
  • Civil
Belgium2
  • 1 Civil
  • 1 Commercial
Czech Republic4
  • 1 Civil
  • 2 Commercial
  • 1 Government
Greece3
  • 2 Commercial
  • 1 Commercial/Government
  • w United Kingdom 1 Commercial
Finland25
  • 2 Civil
  • 23 Commercial
New Zealand1
  • Commercial
Estonia1
  • Civil

Which country has the most military satellites?

With 247 military satellites, the United States is the country with the most in the world as of 2024. China (157) and Russia (110) also have a significant number of military satellites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources