France Warns Of Rising Threats In Space As Russia And China Step Up Activity

France has raised nan siren complete a surge successful ‘hostile’ activity successful space, pinch its apical subject commandant informing that satellites are progressively susceptible to disruption from Russia, China and different world rivals.

Space becomes a battleground aft Ukraine war

Major General Vincent Chusseau, nan caller caput of French Space Command, told reporters that nan conflict successful Ukraine has transformed abstraction into a “fully-fledged operational domain”. He said Russia has escalated attempts to jam satellites, unsighted them pinch lasers and motorboat cyberattacks since its full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful 2022.

“Every time we spot attempts to interfere pinch satellites,” Chusseau explained, adding that Moscow has diversified its methods of attack. France has antecedently accused Russia of trying to spy connected its Franco-Italian outer successful orbit, a move Paris described arsenic ‘unfriendly’ and profoundly concerning.

The Kremlin denies utilizing weapons successful space, but Western governments stay sceptical. Moscow insists it is nan unfortunate of a “hybrid war” led by NATO powers.

Allies pass of hundreds of anti-satellite weapons

France is not unsocial successful its concern. Military officials from nan UK, Canada and Germany person besides sounded nan siren astir nan risks posed to satellites that underpin everything from banking systems and GPS to subject operations.

Major General Paul Tedman, who leads nan UK’s Space Command, warned past week that threats to satellites are increasing “in scale, sophistication and speed”. Meanwhile, Canadian abstraction main Brigadier General Christopher Horner revealed that much than 200 anti-satellite weapons are now successful orbit, calling it “a shocking number” that puts world communications and surveillance astatine risk.

Germany, too, is stepping up its defences, pinch plans to rotation retired a multi-orbit outer web by 2029 arsenic portion of a broader strategy to shield its assets successful space.

France boosts defences arsenic Starlink expands

France, Europe’s biggest authorities investor successful space, is besides moving quickly to fortify its hand. One privilege is improving nan resilience of satellites, particularly successful low-Earth orbit, wherever Elon Musk’s quickly increasing Starlink constellation dominates.

Paris precocious accrued its liking successful Eutelsat, nan French usability down nan OneWeb network, which competes straight pinch Starlink. Demonstrator satellites will soon beryllium launched to patrol orbit, show rival manoeuvres and hole for imaginable countermeasures.

Chusseau made it clear that nan extremity is not conscionable to observe, but to beryllium capable to act. “We request to beryllium fresh to deny, prohibit and disrupt adversaries if necessary,” he said.

With Western powers now treating abstraction arsenic a imaginable frontline, nan title to unafraid nan skies supra Earth has go a cardinal portion of world information strategy.

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