Galileo’s Public Regulated Service: from security to military applications?

Paper number

IAC-06-E6.4.13

Author

Ms. Amal Rakibi, IDEST- CNRS, France

Year

2006

Abstract

In contrast with GPS, a system completely controlled by the American Department of Defense, Galileo is a satellite positioning and navigation system specifically for civil purposes. Galileo will provided five distinct service groups: the Open Service (OS), the Safety-of-Life Service (SoL), the Commercial Service (CS), the Search and Rescue Service (SAR) and the Public Regulated Service (PRS). The latter will have a highest level of security than the ones of OS, CS, SoL and SAR. PRS is required to be operational at all times and in all circusmstances, when other services may be jammed or spoofed.
PRS will be an access-controlled and encrypted signal for governmental applications, controled by civil bodies, and used by identifed categories such as police, fire, ambulance, customs, but also defense. The use of PRS will be allowed, by European Union and participating states. Member States will authorised, unanimously, users through the implementation of appropriate controlled access techniques. Control of distribution of receivers will be maintained by them. 
However, the purposes for which the governmental entities can use the PRS is not clear, will it be used for military applications or only for defence applications. The problem is that all the participating states in the European Global Navigation System are not agree on its military use. For example, the British government, a major Galileo financier, is adamant that Galileo remain non-military in every way possible, for political and strategic considerations. 
Recently, the European Parliament voted to ask the European Union and the European Space Agency Joint Undertaking on Galileo not to exclude the possibility for European armees to use Galileo in the context of peacekeeping operations. But the military applications of the PRS, remain uncertain. In the European texts, Galileo’s military use is never openly mentionned, in aid of the more consensual term of “security”. However, from a legal point of view, nothing prohibits to a member state of the EU or the ESA to use the PRS for military purposes. All the more, it appears quite difficult that the European military forces make the deadlock on a new system which will reduce their dependence to the GPS. 

Abstract document

IAC-06-E6.4.13.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-06-E6.4.13.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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