BRICS NSAs Meet: 11 Nations Tackle Space Security and Emerging Tech Threats

For space and defense professionals, the BRICS NSAs meeting represents more than just another diplomatic assembly—it is where the future rules of engagement for space are being quietly shaped. With 11 member nations, many possessing advanced space capabilities, the discussions on non-traditional security and new technologies will directly influence orbital safety, anti-satellite weapon norms, and satellite cybersecurity. This gathering could mark a turning point in how non-Western blocs approach the weaponization of space.

The arrival of Iranian Deputy Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ghadir Nezami, in New Delhi on June 22, 2026, marks a critical juncture in multilateral security cooperation among the world’s largest emerging economies. Nezami’s presence at the BRICS National Security Advisers (NSA) Meeting underscores the expanding geopolitical and defense dialogue within the bloc, which now comprises 11 nations — Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. Hosted by India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the two-day summit (June 22–23) carries the official theme “Non-traditional security challenges confronting the world today,” with a specific mandate to examine the role of new technologies in emerging threats. This focus signals a growing recognition among BRICS members that traditional military deterrence is no longer sufficient to address the multi-domain threats posed by cyber operations, space-based weapons, and information warfare.

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Several BRICS members — notably Russia, China, and India — possess mature anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities, while Iran has demonstrated significant growth in its space launch vehicle program.

The meeting’s agenda is structured around reviewing outcomes of the recently concluded BRICS Joint Working Groups on Counter-Terrorism and on Security in the use of Information and Communication Technologies. However, the emphasis on “new technologies” within the non-traditional security framework almost certainly extends to space security. Several BRICS members — notably Russia, China, and India — possess mature anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities, while Iran has demonstrated significant growth in its space launch vehicle program. The presence of Iran’s deputy security chief, a key figure in Tehran’s national defense establishment, suggests that space-related threats will be on the table, even if not explicitly named in the official communiqué. The meeting occurs amid a backdrop of heightened global tensions around counterspace weapons, GPS jamming, and cyberattacks on satellite infrastructure, all of which fit the description of non-traditional challenges fueled by emerging tech.

India’s 2026 BRICS chairship, its fourth since the bloc’s inception, is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” reflecting a people-centric approach. This framing aligns with the space-security discussion, as resilient satellite networks and cooperative norms in outer space are essential for global communications, navigation, and climate monitoring — all priorities for the developing world. The meeting could potentially lay the groundwork for a dedicated BRICS space-security working group, complementing the existing BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation, a collaborative Earth observation program already in operation. Such a development would mark a significant step toward institutionalizing outer space as a domain for multilateral governance among non-Western powers.

For the global security landscape, the BRICS NSAs meeting matters because it brings together actors that are often on opposite sides of the table in Western-led forums. The presence of Iran, recently inducted as a full member, adds weight to the bloc’s role as a counterbalance to NATO-centric security architectures. Nezami’s bilateral meetings on the sidelines with officials from India, Russia, or China could advance intelligence-sharing pacts or joint exercises related to space situational awareness, cybersecurity of space assets, and even norms against the weaponization of celestial bodies. While the meeting is not expected to produce binding treaties, the outcome documents may signal shared positions on issues such as ASAT test moratoria or collaborative frameworks for space traffic management, topics that have been gridlocked in the UN’s Open-Ended Working Group on reducing space threats.