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Europe: Green light for Galileo

01 March 2002

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Meeting in Brussels in March, European Transport Ministers decided to go ahead with the militarisation of Galileo, the rival satellite project for the American Global Positioning System (GPS). The GPS technology makes the advanced American precision bombing possible that is now crucial for military intervention abroad (Gulf War, former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan). The whole system consists of 30 satellites should be operational in 2008 and will cost a minimum of 3.6 billion Euro. According to the Financial Times it will not provide a huge advance on the GPS technology since the Americans have lifted the restrictions on commercial users two years ago. There are many civilian applications but the perspectives of commercialisation are doubtful as many basic services are already provided free by GPS. The main European strategy is to become independent of the US in this area. During the Gulf War GPS service was suspended. However there are doubts that this will happen in the future because the commercial applications have become too important.

Financial Times 27.3.02; Le Monde 26.3.02

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