EU military space policy could lead to expensive 'Star Wars' arms drive, say experts

The European Union is pursuing a secretive military space policy which

could lead to a costly 'Star Wars' arms drive, a report warned yesterday.

It accused Brussels of using the European Space Agency to develop

technologies - including a multimillion- pound EU Satellite Centre in

Spain - for use by military as well as civilian authorities.

The Transnational Institute, a Dutch think-tank, said: 'EU-financed

communication and spy satellites are slowly becoming reality and in the

long term the inclusion of space-based missile defence and other more

offensive uses of space are real options for an increasingly ambitious EU

military space policy.'

Next week, ministers from all ESA member states will meet in The Hague

to implement a new European space policy which identifies military

'security' as a priority.

A driving force behind the switch in policy is President Nicolas Sarkozy of

France, which holds the European presidency until December 31. In July,

he said the space agenda was one of his priorities.

The think-tank report also said French ambitions for the militarisation of

space have caused rows with Britain - particularly over Galileo, the

much-delayed European global positioning system.

Galileo would be vital in any European deployment of the sort of GPS-guided artillery now being used by the U.S. In
Iraq and Afghanistan.

Report author Frank Slijper, an economist and arms trade specialist, wrote: 'While Galileo is generally presented as a
genuinely civilian programme, it now appears highly militarised.

'The public denial of these important capabilities shows how much Brussels and many European capitals are afraid to

tell the public that Galileo is to become an extremely important tool in future warfare by European military forces.'

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