The head of the North Atlantic Alliance Jens Stoltenberg confirmed NATO plans to create a new space center at the Ramstein base in Germany.

He stated this on the eve of an online meeting of the defense ministers of the countries - members of the alliance, which will be held on October 22-23.

“I expect ministers to agree tomorrow on the establishment of a new NATO space center under the NATO Air Force Command in Ramstein in Germany,” Stoltenberg said.

According to him, "the center will play a coordinating role in this critical environment, provide communications support to NATO missions and provide them with satellite imagery."

“We do not seek to militarize outer space.

Our goal is to raise NATO's awareness of challenges in outer space and strengthen our ability to respond to them, ”the Alliance Secretary General said.

Stoltenberg also said that the bloc "continues the process of adaptation in all environments of warfare" - including in outer space, where "every year there are more and more active parties and increased competition."

“Several countries, including Russia and China, are developing systems that can blind, disable and shoot down satellites,” he stressed.

According to the head of NATO, outer space "is essential" for the alliance's ability to "navigate, provide communications, and track missile launches."

“It is imperative for our military to have high-speed, efficient and secure satellite communications,” Stoltenberg added.

Let us remind you that the states of the North Atlantic Alliance in June last year approved the first concept of space policy in the history of the organization.

Then NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also stressed that it was allegedly not about the militarization of outer space, but about its monitoring.

  • NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

  • Reuters

  • © Francois Lenoir

At the same time, back in 2005 in Kalkar, Germany, the so-called Joint Air Power Competence Center (JCCVM) was opened "to improve NATO air, space, ground and sea operations" with the use of air forces (Joint Air Power Competence Center).

This was reported by the press service of the alliance.

"Megillah"

According to Konstantin Blokhin, a researcher at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, NATO's plans to create a space center in Germany indicate that the alliance and the United States at the head of the bloc are now "beginning to actively fight for primacy in outer space."

“They believe that whoever wins in this direction will be a leader with a tremendous impact on the planet.

The alliance's intentions to create a space center indicate that the United States and NATO are making space a priority area in which they will develop militarily.

Moreover, the United States does not even hide the fact that it involves wars in outer space.

Stoltenberg's statements about the absence of space militarization in plans to create a center are a fairy tale about a white bull, ”the expert said in a conversation with RT.

As Blokhin clarified, "space is primarily of interest to the American military-industrial circles as a promising area for the development of military technologies."

The analyst also explained that it is no coincidence that the North Atlantic Alliance plans to create its space center at the German Ramstein base.

“This is one of the largest NATO military bases in Europe, which is located on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, Rhineland-Palatinate.

The object created there can be used not only as a space base, but also as a ground tracking center, which will be located not so far from the borders of Russia, and its employees will pay special attention to the confrontation with the Russian Federation, ”Blokhin noted.

Ivan Konovalov, a military expert, development director of the 21st Century Technology Assistance Fund, in turn, recalled that the German Ramstein base "is a stronghold of the US Air Force in Germany in Europe and at the same time one of NATO bases."

“Whatever is built under the alliance brand, it will be under US control.

Therefore, it is Washington that will decide what information to give the same Germany or other countries of the alliance, ”he said.

According to Konovalov, "all the statements of the head of the North Atlantic Alliance, in which the thesis that NATO as an organization is capable of doing something independently, should be taken with a fair amount of skepticism."

“In fact, all important issues are decided by the United States.

And the new NATO space center will serve the interests of the Pentagon and the US Armed Forces, and everything else will be secondary, ”the analyst said.

  • US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with the US military

  • Reuters

  • © Jens Meyer

Konovalov also added that "the Americans are striving for the militarization of space, but they do not have enough money for this."

“Therefore, it is convenient for Washington to use European funds, financing of satellites to create structures like a new space center,” the expert said.

As noted by Blokhin, this center "will not be able to physically restrain Russia and China, but" will be engaged in the development of new systems for detecting satellites, create a strategy of confrontation between the Russian Federation and the PRC in outer space. "

“The center will also be engaged in monitoring outer space, developing new weapons systems for outer space,” the expert said.

At the same time, "Stoltenberg's references to the Russian and Chinese threats do not stand up to criticism," Blokhin said.

“Russia has repeatedly stated that it is developing space systems exclusively for self-defense purposes.

At the same time, the secretary general of the alliance deftly uses these accusations to justify the creation of a space center, which may well become another element of the infrastructure of the new Cold War.

This infrastructure will expand in Europe, Asia with an eye to China as well, ”the analyst said.

According to Blokhin, NATO and the United States "need to constantly inflate threats, because without them you cannot allocate money for new weapons."

“After all, we need support from the public, taxpayers,” the expert said.

"Compensation to Berlin"

According to Blokhin, the creation of a NATO space center in Germany can also be "a kind of compensation for Berlin for the withdrawal of part of the American troops from the FRG."

“Germany is too tidbit for the Americans to refuse.

The United States troops will not leave the FRG under any circumstances, ”the analyst said.

We will remind, earlier the United States announced the withdrawal of American troops from Germany.

As the head of the Pentagon Mark Esper clarified at a press conference at the end of July, Washington will reduce the presence of the United States military in Germany by withdrawing 11.9 thousand troops.

  • Pentagon chief Mark Esper

  • Reuters

  • © Erin Scott

As a result, not 36 thousand, but about 24 thousand people will be on German territory.

Esper said "this will be done in a way that will help strengthen NATO and contain Russia."

As noted by Blokhin, "despite the crisis in relations between Berlin and Washington, Germany remains an important element of the US military strategy."

“Despite all the problems that have arisen between the United States and the FRG, in particular the disputes over the reluctance of the German side to allocate colossal funds to the NATO budget, the alliance led by the United States continues to hold Germany under its umbrella.

The Americans cannot let the FRG get out of control, ”the expert said.

Germany, in the context of these trends, "continues to follow the path of American foreign policy and the strategy of the North Atlantic Alliance," Blokhin said.

“Germany, of course, allows itself some deviations in the form of a position regarding the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, but nevertheless it often follows the mainstream of the collective West.

Therefore, Berlin will probably agree to support NATO's plans to create a space base, which in fact will be run by the United States, ”the analyst concluded.