NATO indicates recognising space as a potential battlefield

Brussels: The developments over the last year makes evident that the leading countries such as the United States, Russia, China and France are preparing for possible future space conflict. Given the developments, even NATO has indicated declaring space as the battlefield of the future as also using space weapons. Sources have said that it would be endorsed in the upcoming NATO meeting in December.

Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is an independent policy institute based in London, UK. The think tank had published a report underscoring NATO’s negligence towards the space sector. The report asserted that many NATO member countries had launched military satellites in space. So, if anyone of them came under a cyberattack, the entire NATO system could be compromised. Additionally, the report highlighted that NATO did not have any control over the satellites.

Considering the developments, NATO had approved an independent space policy in one of its meetings which also stated the growing arms race in space. The conference had discussed space as a domain and its security with prominence although the NATO policy draft avoided the direct mention of space as a frontier for defence. However, sources informed that when member-nations such as the United States and France, were working towards the space domain, NATO could not ignore it. It has thus undertaken preparations in that direction.

Last year, US President Donald Trump had announced the creation of the ‘Space Force’ and ‘Space Command’ stating that it would work as the unified combat command. The experts affirmed the announcement meant the command was ready for a war in space. After the United States, even France has taken serious cognisance of the rising struggle in space.

As French President Emmanuel Macron sanctioned the Space Force Command, he said, ‘The High Command for Space is set up to develop France’s capabilities in space. It is a matter of national security to recognise space and weigh upon it from the defence perspective. The new spatial and military doctrine that has been proposed to me by the Defence Ministry, which I have approved, will allow us to ensure our defence of space.’

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