EU Admits Military Use for Galileo

[watchman]

EU Admits Military Use for Galileo

http://thetrumpet.com/index.php?page=article&id=2635

In a significant policy shift, the European Union Commission stated Saturday that military uses should be considered for Europe’s Galileo satellite navigational system despite prior commitments to limit its use to civilian applications.

Speaking in Luxembourg, Jacques Barrot, European commissioner for transport, declared that “the idea of only using Galileo for civilian purposes will not persist into the future because I think that our military cannot do without some sort of [navigation] system.”

In proposing military applications for Galileo, rival to the United States’ global positioning system (gps), Barrot has “crossed a new threshold” that sets the EU “on a collision course with Britain and the United States,” reports the Belfast Telegraph (October 14). The U.S. originally opposed the project based on the very fact that it could have military uses. Floating the idea will “help to boost the EU’s ambition to develop a larger military capability to back up its foreign policy” (ibid.).

Though billed as an effort to recoup the massive costs of the project, there should be little question that military use for the system was always intended. “For some EU officials,” London’s Financial Times stated, “Mr. Barrot was simply stating explicitly what they already knew: The end-users of Galileo’s highly sophisticated navigational and mapping systems would almost certainly include the military” (October 14).

The implications of a European military force guided by the state-of-the-art Galileo, set to become operational in 2008, are no small matter. Consider: America’s gps has been an important factor in the U.S. being able to maintain its global military supremacy. Soon, Europe will have its own system not merely the equivalent to gps, but even more advanced. Galileo promises, for instance, to be accurate within one meter, as opposed to gps’s 10 meters. As the Trumpet pointed out in February 2005, “Galileo will be used as a key component of the EU’s military resources, and the U.S. will have lost the advantage provided by its gps.”

Also on theTrumpet.com:
• Space Wars: Galileo vs. GPS
Related
http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/Military_uses_for_Galileo_Satellite_System_20061016.php

 

[akj]

The military utility of Galileo was never in doubt. It was termed as a civilian project as it would gain wider participation from other nations.

 

[Grand Danois]

"Admits" is such a curious word to use. That it would be used for military purposes was never in doubt.

Funding in EU just is easier if you don't mention the military.

 

[contedicavour]

Galileo is a competitor of GPS in both civilian and military use.

I'm just hoping rogue countries won't be able to use Galileo to replace a GPS system that can still be "switched off" (I guess locally jammed would be more accurate) by the US in case of trouble ...

cheers

 

[Grand Danois]

Galileo is a competitor of GPS in both civilian and military use.

I'm just hoping rogue countries won't be able to use Galileo to replace a GPS system that can still be "switched off" (I guess locally jammed would be more accurate) by the US in case of trouble ...

cheers

The Galileo has military security in it and deals have been made with the US in case of conflict.

It won't be available for eg China in case of a conflict over Taiwan.

 

[kams]

"Admits" is such a curious word to use. That it would be used for military purposes was never in doubt.

Funding in EU just is easier if you don't mention the military.

It was conceived/projected as a Civilian project. I thought China is also a part of the project. I read some reports that India may decide not to participate.

 

[aaaditya]

It was conceived/projected as a Civilian project. I thought China is also a part of the project. I read some reports that India may decide not to participate.

i believe india was interested in the galileo project ,but iam not that sure now,the indo-russian glosnass-k offers india more complete partcipation in the development stage and exclusive rights,also india and usa have the gagan project which would help in the management of the civil airspace,and i believe that these two would be integrated into the indian regional satellite navigation system,i dont see much scope for india joining the galileo project .

 

[Grand Danois]

It was conceived/projected as a Civilian project. I thought China is also a part of the project. I read some reports that India may decide not to participate.

It is the nature of the beast to have military applications. So even if you don't want to use those, you have to tread softly, softly. Anyway afaik they where intended to be used all the time.

It is the sense of surprise and the indignation of being cheated that is at the core of the initial article. Without that indignation it has nothing. So it appeals to its own very particular audience.

I would be curious to know the type of involvement China and perhaps India has...(?)

 

[kams]

It is the nature of the beast to have military applications. So even if you don't want to use those, you have to tread softly, softly. Anyway afaik they where intended to be used all the time.

It is the sense of surprise and the indignation of being cheated that is at the core of the initial article. Without that indignation it has nothing. So it appeals to its own very particular audience.

I would be curious to know the type of involvement China and perhaps India has...(?)

Chine has invested over $240 million in Galileo. India had signed up in 2005 and Indian investment was supposed to be upwards of $300 million. The details of Indian participation were to be finalized during PM MM Singhs visit to Helsinki couple of weeks back, but due to some reason was put off. There were press reports that this is due to Galileo's military application and Chinese participation. Here is the link to the story.

Galileo, India

Now I am confused by some of the things reported in the above story.

But the expected progress could not be made in Helsinki, sources said, adding that the Indian concerns related to the access that the satellite system will have to all manner of geographical and tactical locations in the country. Further, there were questions over how widely would the very precise data the system would provide of facilities, and even individual phone and vehicle users, be accessed.

These issues, said sources, had not been resolved at Helsinki and despite the official statement before the PM’s visit, that details of Indian participation in the Galileo project were close to completion, there was a lack of progress when Indian and EU officials discussed the issues in Finland.

A major contributor to the project is China, which has agreed to sign seven contracts with EU to participate in Galileo and has committed itself to a $ 241 million investment in the project. Already, in respect to Chinese investment in projects in India relating to areas like ports and telecom, objections have been raised on security grounds.

On Saturday, the European Commission suggested, in a policy shift that sets it on a collision course with UK and the US, that Galileo might be opened up for military use.

The Independent quoted European commissioner for transport Jacques Barrot as saying that "the idea of only using Galileo for civilian purposes will not persist into the future because I think that our military cannot do without some sort of (navigation) system."

While Indian military and civilian facilities are open to satellite surveillance from US and other military-use satellites, the problem with Galileo project is uncertainty over users of the data.

Could someone explain what is the Indian concern (apart from Individual vehicle, phone data being missused).

 

[Grand Danois]

Chine has invested over $240 million in Galileo. India had signed up in 2005 and Indian investment was supposed to be upwards of $300 million. The details of Indian participation were to be finalized during PM MM Singhs visit to Helsinki couple of weeks back, but due to some reason was put off. There were press reports that this is due to Galileo's military application and Chinese participation. Here is the link to the story.

Galileo, India

Now I am confused by some of the things reported in the above story.



Could someone explain what is the Indian concern (apart from Individual vehicle, phone data being missused).

That is kinda weird. IIRC Galileo is a passive navigation system, just like the US GPS, so how could it track anything [on its own].

Could it be there are other issues at play, like access to technology or playing Galileo out against GLONASS.

 

[kams]

That is kinda weird. IIRC Galileo is a passive navigation system, just like the US GPS, so how could it track anything [on its own].

Could it be there are other issues at play, like access to technology or playing Galileo out against GLONASS.

My thoughts exactly. They are portraying Galilio as a recon system rather than navigation system (passive). As you said there must be some other issues.

 

[aaaditya]

Chine has invested over $240 million in Galileo. India had signed up in 2005 and Indian investment was supposed to be upwards of $300 million. The details of Indian participation were to be finalized during PM MM Singhs visit to Helsinki couple of weeks back, but due to some reason was put off. There were press reports that this is due to Galileo's military application and Chinese participation. Here is the link to the story.

Galileo, India

Now I am confused by some of the things reported in the above story.



Could someone explain what is the Indian concern (apart from Individual vehicle, phone data being missused).

my understanding from the above article is that the indian governement is worried about the chinese getting access to the same technology as the indians from the gallileo project.

 

[aaaditya]

That is kinda weird. IIRC Galileo is a passive navigation system, just like the US GPS, so how could it track anything [on its own].

Could it be there are other issues at play, like access to technology or playing Galileo out against GLONASS.

but it can be used for providing guidance(navigational waypoints) to cruise and ballistic missiles and combat aircrafts.

 

[kams]

but it can be used for providing guidance(navigational waypoints) to cruise and ballistic missiles and combat aircrafts.

True, but does India withdrawing from the project means China will not have the capability over Indian territory? Answer is NO. There is more to it than what we are reading in News.

 

[aaaditya]

True, but does India withdrawing from the project means China will not have the capability over Indian territory? Answer is NO. There is more to it than what we are reading in News.

well,atleast india will not have to share their capability with china ,also india and china are not primary partners in the project which is primarily a european union project and hence ther are likely to be restriction imposed on the usage of the galileo satellite data particularly in the even of an indo - china war.

also what is the point of spending 300 million dollars on the galileo project when we have comparable projects like the indo-us gagan and the indian regional satellite network based on the glossnass-k satellite's(of which 30 satellites are to be launched),india will be having exclusive rights to the satellite data and can block a third country(china) from using this datafor millitary and civilian purposes(just like the european union can block india and china from using the galileo satellite data),besides the 300million dollars can be used for a number of other important projects.