France’s White Paper on defence and national security highlights the need to develop military space activities and to give it a high priority. Whilst the principal military space powers in the world show willingness and regularly increase spending in this area, the European nations, France in particular, are virtually absent from any such international enterprises. This passiveness in the face of the beginnings of the ‘militarization’ of space and the absence of a common wish to further a European military presence in space are also the reasons why Europe is being left to one side along the pathway to the stars. France has for long been the driving force behind European military space matters. To resume its place and remain amongst the leaders of military space powers, Europe has to rediscover its driving force. The opportunity arises with the creation of a Space Command within French forces.

Europe’s Military are Lagging Behind on Space Matters

When it comes to budgets, policies, doctrines, programmes or studies, European military space affairs are clearly lagging behind. In France, which can be considered to be the leading European military space power, current projects result from the impetus given them during the 1990s by the frustrations encountered in the first Gulf War. Lately, leading political figures have repeatedly expressed their views on the need to increase spending in space matters, something that is crucial for our security and, more generally, for the wellbeing of our society. However, the action taken has never until now matched the political discussions. The military space budget has regularly decreased to reach, in 2008, its lowest level for more than ten years (€380 million as against €740 million in 1995).

The reasons for this lack of funding are many and complex. The first results from the organisation of space systems. Brought into being during the Cold War, military space matters have for long been perceived as a strategic intelligence tool enhancing deterrence. This has meant that system architecture, technical choices and operational organisations have been designed to satisfy the strategic requirement and therefore have been available only to the privileged few. This organisation has unfortunately persisted, whilst the demands of other operational requirements have grown. In consequence the troops on the ground have rarely seen the contributions of space systems, have never acquired the habit of requesting them, and have rapidly come to pass them by. In this respect, the absence of any reference to the use of space systems is obvious in the plethora of joint or single service doctrines and concepts.