As Space War Looms, Europe Prepares to Defend Its Galileo Satellites
Since the start of the Ukraine conflict, there have been periodic disruptions of Europe’s Galileo GPS network—attacks that have almost all been traced to Russia.
The European Union runs its own constellation of sophisticated global positioning satellites called Galileo. This system is composed of 27 operational satellites in medium-earth orbit (MEO), and is widely considered to be the most precise navigational satellite system in the world. Yet European leaders understandably fear that this essential satellite constellation, as well as its attendant ground stations, could become a target of Russia in a hypothetical future conflict.
To combat the threat that Russia poses to the safe functioning of these critical European satellites, the Spanish company GMV has been tasked with enhancing the Galileo Reference Centre in Noordwijk, Netherlands. The contract is worth USD $30 million.
The Galileo Network Receives a Tech Facelift
Defense News, a trade publication, reports that “the tech facelift also comes with the implementation of a signal authentication service, emergency warning satellite service for public disaster alerts and enhanced search and rescue capabilities, along with strengthened cybersecurity.” GMV intends for these upgrades to be ready by next year.
The push for this renewed satellite security is clearly connected to the Ukraine War—where NATO’s support for Ukraine has been insufficient to stem the slow Russian advance.
As the Americans seek a negotiated settlement to the war, the Europeans are seeking to forge their own path that allows for them to continue supporting the Ukrainians, irrespective of what Washington wants. But with this newfound sense of independence from the United States, coupled with increasing hostility from Russia, comes the need for greater security.
A History of Russian Space Aggression
The Russians have already demonstrated a stunning ability to disrupt the safe functioning of key European satellites. Since 2014, Russian co-orbital satellites have harassed sensitive French surveillance satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO), for example.
Multiple reports over the last few years have shown that the Russians have engaged in wanton attacks on navigation satellite systems. And the Russians are suspected of already having jammed the Galileo system’s signals on more than one occasion.
Indeed, as the Russians were readying their invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow is thought to have launched widespread cyberattacks aimed at disrupting Viasat, a United Kingdom satellite internet provider with terminals throughout Europe. Since then, attacks directed against key telecommunications infrastructure throughout Europe have occurred—most notably in the form of undersea cables being cut.
And, since the start of the war, there have been periodic disruptions of Europe’s Galileo GPS network of increasing strength across multiple European states, notably Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Germany, Finland, and Poland. These attacks have almost all been traced to Russia. As the New Scientist reported last March, “A 63-hour-long marathon of GPS jamming attacks disrupted global satellite navigation systems for hundreds of aircraft flying through the Baltic region—and Russia is thought to be responsible.”
Another key threat to Europe’s space architecture is spoofing. That’s where an enemy nation hijacks the signals of a given satellite system, in this case the Galileo GPS network, and gives out false data to the users of that system.
In the example of the Galileo network, a Russian spoofing attack would make a European cargo ship transiting through the Baltic Sea on a particularly foggy evening think it was in deeper waters than it really was in. Believing the false data ostensibly from the Galileo system, the ship would run aground, causing a catastrophe.
The GMV contract is meant to shore up the entire ground segment of the Galileo network, beginning with the location in the Netherlands but ultimately moving to key sites in Belgium, Norway, and the Indian Ocean.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / Fingerhut.