On Thursday, 26 February, European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius announced that he would “soon” be presenting an action plan for a ‘European Space Shield’.
He explained at the GOVSATCOM Conference in Luxembourg that the purpose of this plan is “to use space for preparedness and defence readiness, aim[ing] for delivery already next year, in 2027”.
“The ‘Space Shield’ will set a framework for coordination and will offer EU added value to defence. We will use our space systems to support Member States [in] integrat[ing] space-based services into their defence—to strengthen our collective security and our economy”, the commissioner stated.
Mr Kubilius explained that the shield would be “defined and carefully coordinated” with Member States and that the EU would support and complement national defence efforts and would not be replacing them. “Working together will reduce redundancies, reduce costs, and ensure interoperability”, he promised.
In addition, Mr Kubilius revealed that GOVSATCOM – which is to provide secure satellite communications – has been a success. He was delighted to report that since operations began in January (see EUROPE 13795/21), “A first request has already been received!”
The commissioner felt that the launch of its operations had come at just the right time: “According to media reports, Russian [...] satellites have, in the past 3 years, performed suspicious proximity operations near European satellites where they could steal unencrypted data.” He emphasised, “These reports show just how important it is to make sure our sensitive data is secure”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)