Modern conflicts are already being fought in space and the next wars will begin there, French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday, singling out the threat posed by Russia and announcing a multi-billion euro increase in spending on military activities in space.
“The war of today is already being fought in space, and the war of tomorrow will begin in space,” Macron said in Toulouse, France’s space and aviation hub, which is home to its new space military command centre.
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“Space is no longer a sanctuary, it has become a battlefield,” Macron said.
He said that Russia in the wake of its 2022 full scale invasion of Ukraine was carrying out “espionage” activities in space.
Russian space vehicles were monitoring French satellites, there was mass jamming of GPS signals and cyberattacks against space infrastructure, he added.
Macron also pointed to the “particularly shocking Russian threat of nuclear weapons in space, the effects of which would be disastrous for the whole world”.
Without giving specific details, Macron announced an additional 4.2 billion euros ($4.9 billion) in funding for military space activities up to 2030.
In a “fragile” European space sector, he also stressed the need to “encourage our European champions to be competitive on the global market”.
The priorities outlined for France’s space strategy included “developing future launchers” that are reusable, have low-cost propulsion and high-thrust engines.
In a nod to the ambitious programmes of American billionaires Elon Musk who leads Space X and Jeff Bezos with Blue Origin, Macron said: “Depending on a major third-party power or any space magnate is out of the question.
“Let us be ready: this will be a condition for the success of military operations on land, in the air and at sea.”
He also said France was accelerating the development of advanced warning capabilities in cooperation with Germany, strengthening space surveillance with the Aurore radar system to reduce dependence on other states.
“We are investing in means of action from the ground and space while respecting international law, but without any naivety,” he said.
AFP