What does the future hold for the military use of space in Europe? The question has been asked many times before; it arises whenever there is a new US initiative in this strategic field. This time it assumes even greater significance, with the emergence of new Asian players such as China, Japan and India in the military space field. France has recently updated its defence space policy with the publication in February 2007 of the unclassified version of a report by the steering group on strategic options for defence space policy (GOSPS). This article will summarise the current position and then identify certain policy options that European military space could adopt to address these challenges.

European Military Use of Space in 2007

The use by Europe of space for defence and security purposes has had a turbulent past, marked by episodes of ambition and abandonment. In the second half of the 1980s, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Western European Union (WEU) decided to promote the concept of a European agency for space-based verification. The WEU Satellite Centre in Torrejon (WEU Council press release dated 27 June 1991) today remains the only EU entity in the space field with a defence and security role. The current structure of military use of space within Europe therefore results in the main from the independent action of a few countries in the communications and imaging fields.

Communications: an Under-Exploited Field of Cooperation

Space-based military communications was the first area of interest for defence ministries, with two long-standing players at the European level, the United Kingdom with the Skynet I to IV programmes and France with the Syracuse I and II programmes. Since then Spain and Italy have joined the club with the Hispasat and SICRAL programmes.