Europe acknowledges that Galileo can have military applications
Amidst all of the controversy over funding for the beleaguered Galileo system, Europe's answer to the U.S.-based GPS, comes official acknowledgment that Galileo will have its military and defense uses, alongside civilian applications. Proponents of the Galileo system all along have maintained that since the U.S. global positioning system was created and is maintained by the U.S. military, that Europe should have its own, purely commercial civilian satellite navigation system. Given the importance of GPS to navigation and commerce, Galileo's proponents argue having an alternative is critical, should the U.S. military cut off civilian use of its satellites.
However the European Space Policy, signed off earlier this week by ministers from the European Space Agency's (ESA) member states and others tasked with internal market, industry and research within the European Union’s Competitiveness Council, notes that defense is an important parameter to Galileo and space technology in general.
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