NATO is preparing for the fact that wars will also be fought in space in the future. A space centre is now to be built in Ramstein.
- Brussels (dpa) – NATO is pressing ahead with its preparations for the defence of the Alliance in space. According to information from the German Press Agency and “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, the defence ministers of the 30 member states intend next Thursday to announce the construction of a space centre. It is to be attached to the NATO Allied Air Command in Ramstein in Rhineland-Palatinate and will primarily serve as a coordination centre for space surveillance. In future, information about possible threats to satellites could be pooled in Ramstein. It is also conceivable that the space centre will later be expanded into a command centre for defence measures.
According to information from the German Press Agency, a kind of think tank for NATO’s space activities is also to be established in the near future. Recently, Kalkar in North Rhine-Westphalia and Toulouse in France were discussed as possible sites for this Centre of Excellence. The Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC) is already based in Kalkar. In support of its bid, Toulouse is stressing the fact that the French national space command is currently also being set up there. NATO’s plans are a consequence of the fundamental decision taken last year to declare space an independent area of operations.
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