The European security is increasingly dependent on activities in space, and both EU and NATO need to be prepared for assuring protection of their values also in the newest operational domain – SPACE that is becoming more congested, contested and competitive environment. That is the main takeaway from the international seminar named “Defending European Interests in Space”. The event, happening under the auspices of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union, was organised by the Ministry of Defence in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport, the overall coordinator of space activities in the Czech Republic, and with the support of the Prague Security Studies Institute (PSSI). Together, they networked subject matter experts to spur the discussion on European civilian space programmes, security and defence aspect reflecting European interests in space, military use of space as an operational domain, and the role of European industry in supporting the EU ambitions in space. As many as one hundred experts from EU Member States, EU and NATO bodies and other European governmental and non-governmental entities gathered in Hotel DAP Prague on November 30, 2022, to discuss these issues.
“The significance of space for security and defence has been notably growing over the past years. Most recently, the relevance of space as an operational domain has been demonstrated in the ongoing war in Ukraine,” the Czech Deputy Minister for Defence Policy and Strategy Jan Jireš said in his keynote speech. “Space spans a wide variety of areas – politics, security and defence, military application and technological development – and needs to be approached as such. That is why today’s seminar has an ambitious, multidisciplinary focus,” he added. “Space capacities and capabilities of the Czech Republic are growing. Our goal is to increase the visibility of our effort in this area and also to further support national industry to develop and integrate highly sophisticated complex solutions for end users both in civil and military domain,” said Václav Kobera, Director of space activities department at the Ministry of Transport.
The first panel of the seminar outlined the current state of space activities both within the European Union and in the Czech Republic. A representative of the Czech Ministry of Transport highlighted priorities of the National Space Plan for 2025, a key document for national space ambition. These include increased competitiveness and capability development, maximization of investment, and strengthened participation in European space-related programmes with the goal to streamline national efforts. The Czech Republic has been experiencing an action momentum in space-related activities, the panel introduced a number of Czech companies offering innovative space products with security and defence implications.
Regarding the EU level of ambition, the overall emphasis was put on effective cooperation in the effort to establish European leadership in space. Given the increased global competitiveness, experts agreed defence in space is a key part of strategic autonomy and a vital enabler for security of EU Member States, citizens, assets, and missions. Furthermore, they called for exploitation of synergies between military and civilian space activity, engagement with the industry, boosting innovation in space security and defence domain, and increased competitiveness. The most significant efforts in the space domain within the EU currently include the development of the EU Space Strategy in Security and Defence, closing the gaps in space, and strengthening and expanding space infrastructure.
In the second panel, experts discussed space security and defence policies from both EU and NATO perspectives. Participants representing the EU, namely the European Commission and the European External Action Service, and NATO HQ agreed that both organisations need to be prepared for a more competitive, contested and congested space environment. The panel discussion underlined the importance of space for critical infrastructure and intelligence needs of the EU Member States. The necessary response is to reinforce resilience through investments screening, reduction of dependencies, cyber defence, and readiness and capability to rapidly leverage assets, including launchers. The EU has all the necessary tools available, but needs to be reactive in taking action and adopt a coordinated position in international fora. For NATO, the use of space has enhanced the Allied ability to detect threats, increased situational awareness, and provided new functions for deterrence and defence. A NATO representative stressed that the Alliance’s goal is not to militarise space but to increase situational awareness and provide resilient and sustainable capabilities as well as operational support.
A speaker representing the Czech Ministry of Defence pointed out that Space is a part of the Czech defence policy priorities linked to the implementation of EU Strategic Compass; albeit still new but persistently growing subject of our interest that is gradually translated into specific actions and participation of Czech experts in multinational activities, both in NATO and EU.
Third panel was dedicated to the topic of space as an operational domain, mainly focused on a military perspective. Experts discussed the growing military significance of space in terms of operational planning and activities. Space and space technologies are widely used to increase effectiveness of military capabilities and need to be reflected in defence planning. Speakers from the Czech Armed Forces, Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space, and the European Union Satellite Centre agreed on the need to address the risks posed by the growing number of actors and activities in space as well as the intensive development and testing of anti-satellite capabilities. They also presented ways their products and services are helpful on both national and international levels and how they contribute to a more secure transatlantic area.
Last panel focused on industry, research, and science in the space domain. Experts representing a wider range of stakeholders, including the Czech Space Alliance and the European Investment Bank, stated that current space activities largely rely on the efforts of academia and industry. They enable state-of-the-art technological research and bring fundamental progress in the field of space technology. Space technologies are inherently dual-use, meaning the results of investments in civilian programs can be used for defence and security purposes as well. European Union and European Defence Agency greatly facilitate cooperation for their members in this area. The costs of these activities are divided between national budgets and EU funds. Moreover, the idea of using the public-private-partnership was also mentioned during the discussion. Participants agreed that targeted support for European space ambitions is necessary for the EU and its member states to secure their place among “space powers”.
The expert seminar in Prague concurred that space is essential for transatlantic security, deterrence, and defence. Throughout its course, the Czech EU Presidency has mirrored this premise, putting an emphasis on bolstering EU-NATO cooperation not only in the space domain. “The importance of space domain for security and defence is indisputable. I am glad that Czech aerospace companies are producing cutting edge technologies and have been very successful in various international research projects including European Defence Fund,” concluded the Czech Deputy Defence Minister for Industrial Cooperation Tomáš Kopečný.
