The Russian Foreign Ministry said that France’s new national defense space strategy raises “serious questions” for Moscow. This is stated in an official comment on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“Even the first reading of the strategy raises serious questions to some of its provisions, which the Russian side intends to address to the French partners. In the preliminary plan, we consider it necessary to note the following. France became the second (after the United States) state to officially recognize the possibility of armed conflict in outer space. At the same time, in response to "unfriendly" or "hostile" actions with respect to French space objects, countermeasures, including, as we understand it, of a forceful nature, are not excluded, ”the Foreign Ministry said.
The agency also noted that against this background, a “dramatic” is a sharp change in France’s approaches to Russian proposals to prevent an arms race in outer space. In particular, last year Paris refused to support a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a dialogue on the issue of non-deployment of weapons in outer space. France also refused to join the international initiative of Russia on the non-deployment of the first weapons in space (NPOK).
In addition, as noted by the Russian Foreign Ministry, representatives of France at the international conference on disarmament in Geneva rejected the Russian-Chinese draft agreement on signing an agreement prohibiting the withdrawal of weapons into outer space.
Earlier, as the Russian diplomatic department emphasized, on the contrary, constructive cooperation and mutual understanding was observed between Moscow and Paris on this issue.
" Great Power Ambitions "
French Defense Minister Florence Parley presented the new national defense space strategy on July 25 at the headquarters of the Air Defense and Air Operations Command at Lyon-Mont Verdun Air Base. Parley noted that, in accordance with the promises of President Emmanuel Macron, from September 1, the space command will appear in the structure of the air forces, which will be located in Toulouse. The staff of the new structure is 220 specialists.
- Florence Parley
- AFP
- © PHILIPPE DESMAZES
The Minister of Defense also announced that the Fifth Republic would expand funding for military space programs as part of budget planning for 2019-2025: in addition to the originally planned investments of € 3.6 billion, the country's authorities decided to allocate an additional € 700 million for the development of this area.
In addition, Florence Parley announced her intention to improve space defense equipment with a new weapons program called Dominance in Space, which includes both surveillance and active defense.
In particular, according to the minister, Paris does not exclude that it can use weapons in space.
“If our companions are at risk, we will consider the possibility of blinding the satellites of our opponents. We reserve the right to choose the time and means to strike back: in this case, powerful lasers of our satellites or our patrol nanosatellites can be used, ”Parley announced.
Previously, France’s website for the development of an anti-satellite laser was reported by BFM.
According to experts, the new space strategy of France is nothing more than a manifestation of the "great power ambitions" of Paris.
“Macron initially stated that he wanted to make the country at least the most powerful and most influential state in Europe,” Igor Ignatchenko, head of the Department of General History of the RANEPA, recalled in an interview with RT. “And this military initiative is precisely what should contribute to the recognition of France as a great power.”
The expert also did not rule out that the change of position of Paris on the issue of the militarization of outer space could be caused by economic reasons and Macron’s desire to demonstrate “tangible results of his presidency”.
- Emmanuel Macron
- Reuters
- © Brian Snyder
“One of the main messages of Macron, when he first applied for the presidency, was the renewal of the French economy. And the military-space program, involving new contracts and opportunities, can just contribute to this, ”the expert notes. “The mandate of the French leader is approaching the equator, and he needs to carry out large-scale reforms in a short time.”
Following trump
France's new national defense space strategy involves close cooperation with countries such as the United States, Britain, India, Japan, Germany and Italy. Russia and China are not among the possible partners.
“France, which claims to be the first military power in the European Union, is in the wake of Washington's policy. Instead of curtailing military programs and moving towards peaceful cooperation, exploring space together with Russia, they are following the cheapest and most extreme way, ”military expert Yuri Knutov said in a conversation with RT.
Last year, US President Donald Trump announced the creation of American space forces. In January 2019, in the new edition of the "Missile Defense Review", the Pentagon allowed the deployment of missile defense elements in space. Japan also took certain steps in this direction, declaring in December 2018 its intention to form a military-space unit as part of the Self-Defense Forces. On the eve of the Japanese media reported that such a unit is planned to be created in 2020.
- Donald Trump
- Reuters
- © Carlos Barria
On July 18, British Secretary of Defense Penny Mordont announced the Kingdom’s accession to the US Military Space Program Operation Olympic Defender, aimed at containing Washington’s opponents in space. At the same time, the minister emphasized that the danger allegedly comes from Russia and China.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also spoke about the agreement by the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance on a joint strategy regarding the use of outer space in June. As Reuters noted earlier, at a NATO summit in London scheduled for December, a military bloc could officially declare space a "war zone."
“The military leadership of Russia has repeatedly talked about the dangerous course towards the militarization of space. But we know that the USA is conducting relevant experiments, and France, relying on the EU, is trying to keep up with this plan, ”said Sergei Fedorov, a leading researcher at the Institute of Europe of the RAS, in a conversation with RT.
"Confidence Building Measures"
Yuri Knutov suggested that in response to NATO’s militarization of outer space, "Russia will have to create asymmetric retaliatory weapons, not so expensive, but very effective."
However, so far Moscow has shown only diplomatic activity in this matter. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty forbids its participants from placing nuclear weapons in outer space, as well as from using the Moon and other celestial bodies for military purposes. Now Russia is in favor of tightening international law that would prevent an arms race in outer space.
“Russia is a powerful and the first space power, it has every opportunity to feel confident and protected, therefore Moscow will track the steps of both France and the USA,” says Sergey Fedorov.
Back in 2016, the Director of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Mikhail Ulyanov urged UN countries to immediately begin consideration of a legally binding agreement on the non-deployment of weapons in space.
In 2017, Russia and China submitted to the UN General Assembly a draft resolution on the non-deployment of weapons in space by the first.
“Our initiative with NPOK is sound. We need to maximize the involvement of other countries, the media, to convey our point of view, to explain the danger of such programs, ”says Yuri Knutov.
A similar opinion is shared by Sergei Fedorov. According to him, now it is necessary to take steps in the negotiating format "in order to reassure each other."
“In my opinion, it is necessary to develop minimal confidence-building measures between space powers,” Fedorov said. “If space is militarized, then it will be much more difficult to get out of this stalemate situation than now.”