Galileo: Security and Defence Implications of the European GNSS

At the end of the 1990s, Europe realized the need to develop an independent satellite navigation system named after the renowned thinker Galileo Galilei. The civilian nature of Galileo and its prospective economic and social benefits have been strongly emphasized by the European authorities right from the outset vis-à-vis the military controlled/operated US GPS and Russian GLONASS. However, as a potential dual use system, Galieo also has a security and defence dimension since Europe, upon its completion, will possess a capability comparable to GPS that has revolutionized modern warfare. Amidst the disagreements surrounding the system¿s characteristics and the failure of its financing structure, the EU managed to secure a deal and decided to go ahead with Galileo in November 2007.