Espionage should also be taken into account, just as in the case when a Russian satellite came close to the French-Italian satellite ‘Athena-Fidus’ used for military communications in October 2017. More and more countries are therefore developing new technologies such as Anti-Satellite (ASAT) weapons 6 or cyberattacks to damage enemy satellites in case of ‘aggressive’ behaviour against space assets. Today, without satellites, modern warfare can no longer work. 5 It is crucial for NATO member countries that during the missions and operations they will undertake, they have the right support. Hence, space is becoming an essential tool for the Alliance’s deterrence and defence. As of now, the dependence on space assets is the reason why they are an attractive target to adversaries. Outer space can be used for peaceful purposes, but also in an aggressive way. Moreover, space assets represent crucial elements to support military or humanitarian operations on Earth through remote sensing data, navigation, and telecommunications. Space is part of our daily life on Earth making space assets an integral part of national and international infrastructure. These words illustrate the growing significance of outer space for the Alliance. But we need to ensure our missions and operations have the right support.’ 4 NATO has no intention to put weapons in space. However, the Secretary General assured that NATO’s approach ‘… will remain defensive and fully in line with international law. This is a reality that space is becoming more and more important for military operations and missions. 3 Still, the Alliance does not possess its own space assets, and depends on the technologies of its members. 2 There are about 2,000 satellites in the Earth’s orbit, at least half of them are owned and operated by NATO member States. 1 As mentioned by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, during a press conference in Brussels ‘this can allow NATO planners to make a request for allies to provide capabilities and services, such as satellite communications and data imagery’. NATO clearly identified outer space as the fifth military domain beside air, land, sea and cyberspace on November 2019, in response to expanding issues over protecting space assets from hostile intentions such as interference.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |