France to develop anti-satellite weapons: defence minister

France plans to develop anti-satellite weapons but will only deploy them in self-defence, its defence minister said on Thursday, as she laid out the country's new military strategy for space.

"If our satellites are threatened, we intend to blind those of our adversaries," Florence Parly said. "We reserve the right and the means to be able to respond: that could imply the use of powerful lasers deployed from our satellites or from patrolling nano-satellites.