French military space policy and European cooperation

Abstract

Alone among European countries, France pursues an independent defence policy; along with the UK it has also begun to exploit the military aspects of space. This article considers the relationship between French military space policy and European cooperation in civil space projects. It examines the history of France's military space ventures and the largely unsuccessful attempts at joint efforts in the field, but makes clear that the French Ministry of Defence has benefited from civil space cooperation. While the prospects for European military space cooperation remain distant for a variety of reasons, France's policy of maintaining partial autonomy in the military sphere while taking a leading role in European civil space activities, remains the most sensible course for the future.