Galileo: David Morris outlines UK’s role in project
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The warning comes from Chair of the Defence Select Committee Tobias Ellwood after a US Space Force official said Russian forces are targeting global positioning system (GPS) satellite. The satellites are used for navigation, mapping and other purposes. The Kremlin has reportedly been blocking the signal in Ukraine using “bus-sized” ground stations to target the Navstar system of satellites.
Mr Ellwood, a former captain in the British Army, believes it’s not long before this becomes a regular occurrence in Europe.
He told Express.co.uk: “This is absolutely where this war will go and this is why many of us are calling for a recognition of how European security will change.
“Behind Russia sits China who will be backing up GLONASS with Beidou.
“It will challenge GPS which is so fundamental from a military perspective – there are so many weapons and communication systems.
“It is an obvious target. Our everyday lives are absolutely reliant on it.”
Russia has its own independent system, called GLONASS, and China has one called Beidou.
Meanwhile, the European system, dubbed Galileo, is still not fully operational.
Mr Ellwood, who is also MP for Bournemouth East, warns that the split-up between the EU and UK may be exploited by China and Russia.
He added: “You will have GPS competing with the Russian and Chinese systems – and they all will have to take protective measures.
“I’m astonished that it’s taken this long (for them to block GPS) – normally you want to blind and deafen your enemy as soon as possible.
“Galileo is the European version of GPS that Britain was squeezed out of.
“It’s not properly functioning yet and it is designed to be a backup.”
The UK was kicked out of the EU’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) when it left the bloc.
The system, which goes live in 2026, features a Public Regulated Service (PRS) that can be used by government agencies, armed forces and emergency services.
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The bloc decided this “crucial feature” would only be accessible for EU members, despite UK company Surrey Satellites designing its “brains and heart”.
Now, that delay may prove costly.
Mr Ellwood noted: “If the American system is paralysed, or they switched it off, there will be complete chaos.
“We can’t afford our own system. There are other methods we can use – like the OneWeb system.
“But it can’t deal with the scale of data you are talking about with GPS.
“There are other types of systems that are available, but the data is very different.”
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