with the US and China. And above all, its armed forces are fragmented among the
various nations.
69
Space is clear proof of this situation in Europe. In 2018, the French newspaper
La Tribune
70
accused Germany of violating the Schwerin’s Franco-German
defence agreements,
71
because Berlin had contracted the building of two spy satellites to the Bremen-based aerospace company Orbitale Hochtechnologie Bremen
AG (OHB). According to France, this move violated agreements wherein France
was to supply satellite imagery from its spy satellites to Berlin. The French newspaper reported that the move was a fatal shot to the bilateral space program, called
Composant Spatial Optique (CSO), which had been signed to finance three brand
new spy satellites for both countries. In exchange for the CSO agreement, Germany
would have had guarantees on industrial orders for the future European drone
Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE). But decision to purchase two spy
satellites from OHB completely turned the situation around.
Why did this happen?
Perhaps the German decision originated from a previous event. In 2001, the
French and Italian governments signed a bilateral agreement
72
for a mutual satellite imagery exchange. Italy would have provided the radar images of the Cosmo
SkyMed satellites, and France the optical photos taken by Pleiades satellites.
However, during the 2011 military intervention in Libya, the Italian armed forces
had problems receiving French satellite imagery, officially due to different operational priorities between the two commands. Since the two countries had some
troubled political relationships
73
at that time, the Italian Ministry of Defense
decided to buy a turnkey spy satellite from Israel, Optsat-3000, which the Italian
press called “the ‘last revenge against Paris”.
74
69
European Commission. 2017. Fact Sheet - Questions and Answers: The Future of European
Defence. European Commission: Brussels.
70
https://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/industrie/aeronautique-defense/observationspatiale-quand-l-allemagne-se-joue-de-la-france-760854.html.
71
Le Sommet de Schwerin. Paris: Bibliothèque de Science Po. https://catalogue.sciencespo.fr/
ark:/46513/sc0000488863.
72
Italian law of January 10, 2004, n. 20. Ratification and execution of the Agreement between
the Government of the Italian Republic and the Government of the French Republic regarding
cooperation on Earth observation, made in Turin on January 29, 2001. Published in the
“Gazzetta Ufficiale” no. 25, January 31, 2004.
73
Darnis, Jean Pierre. 2017. France, Italy and the Reawakening of Historical
Rivalries.
International
Affairs
Institute.
http://www.iai.it/en/pubblicazioni/
france-italy-and-reawakening-historical-rivalries.
74
http://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2017/08/02/news/opsat-3000_satellite_spia_italiano-172180449/.
Technopolitics of Space Between History and Realpolitik 81
various nations.
69
Space is clear proof of this situation in Europe. In 2018, the French newspaper
La Tribune
70
accused Germany of violating the Schwerin’s Franco-German
defence agreements,
71
because Berlin had contracted the building of two spy satellites to the Bremen-based aerospace company Orbitale Hochtechnologie Bremen
AG (OHB). According to France, this move violated agreements wherein France
was to supply satellite imagery from its spy satellites to Berlin. The French newspaper reported that the move was a fatal shot to the bilateral space program, called
Composant Spatial Optique (CSO), which had been signed to finance three brand
new spy satellites for both countries. In exchange for the CSO agreement, Germany
would have had guarantees on industrial orders for the future European drone
Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE). But decision to purchase two spy
satellites from OHB completely turned the situation around.
Why did this happen?
Perhaps the German decision originated from a previous event. In 2001, the
French and Italian governments signed a bilateral agreement
72
for a mutual satellite imagery exchange. Italy would have provided the radar images of the Cosmo
SkyMed satellites, and France the optical photos taken by Pleiades satellites.
However, during the 2011 military intervention in Libya, the Italian armed forces
had problems receiving French satellite imagery, officially due to different operational priorities between the two commands. Since the two countries had some
troubled political relationships
73
at that time, the Italian Ministry of Defense
decided to buy a turnkey spy satellite from Israel, Optsat-3000, which the Italian
press called “the ‘last revenge against Paris”.
74
69
European Commission. 2017. Fact Sheet - Questions and Answers: The Future of European
Defence. European Commission: Brussels.
70
https://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/industrie/aeronautique-defense/observationspatiale-quand-l-allemagne-se-joue-de-la-france-760854.html.
71
Le Sommet de Schwerin. Paris: Bibliothèque de Science Po. https://catalogue.sciencespo.fr/
ark:/46513/sc0000488863.
72
Italian law of January 10, 2004, n. 20. Ratification and execution of the Agreement between
the Government of the Italian Republic and the Government of the French Republic regarding
cooperation on Earth observation, made in Turin on January 29, 2001. Published in the
“Gazzetta Ufficiale” no. 25, January 31, 2004.
73
Darnis, Jean Pierre. 2017. France, Italy and the Reawakening of Historical
Rivalries.
International
Affairs
Institute.
http://www.iai.it/en/pubblicazioni/
france-italy-and-reawakening-historical-rivalries.
74
http://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2017/08/02/news/opsat-3000_satellite_spia_italiano-172180449/.
Technopolitics of Space Between History and Realpolitik 81