{"id":26666,"date":"2018-05-08T17:37:19","date_gmt":"2018-05-08T17:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/05\/08\/uk-and-eu-spar-over-access-to-satellite-program\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:19:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:19:01","slug":"uk-and-eu-spar-over-access-to-satellite-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2018\/05\/08\/uk-and-eu-spar-over-access-to-satellite-program\/","title":{"rendered":"UK and EU spar over access to satellite program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LONDON \u2014 Britain has warned the European Union it will build its own navigational satellite system if it is locked out of access to key defense-grade data from the Galileo network<\/a> now being built by Brussels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson became the second member of the government this month to threaten the EU. He said the country will respond to threats to deny it access to the military data needed to accurately target missiles by developing its own, rival system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Britain could go it alone or team with other countries such as Japan, Australia and South Korea to build its own navigational satellite capabilities<\/a>, Williamson said in an article for the Daily Telegraph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDefense scientists and the military experts have started work scoping out the possibilities of developing our own satellite system while we continue talks with the European Commission over our future role in Galileo. And we won\u2019t rule out working with other nations,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The defense secretary also hinted Britain could adopt a similar effort to develop a new generation of fighter planes outside of the normal teaming with major European nations, further emphasizing the strains appearing between London and the EU on defense industry cooperation post Brexit \u2014 or Britain\u2019s exit from the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n

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In the midst of Brexit negotiations, British Prime Minister Theresa May lays out her reasoning for a security relationship between the U.K. and the European Union at the Munich Security Conference. (Jeff Martin\/Staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

France and Germany announced progress toward launching a new fighter program at the recent Berlin Air Show<\/a> with no mention of there being a place for Britain at this stage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI recently launched our new combat air strategy with industry to look at our next generation of fighter jets,\u201d he said. \u201cFor us to succeed, we need to be ambitious and imaginative. That means exploring all the options and not just thinking about collaborating with traditional partners such as France or Germany but turning to new markets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t