By Gianluca Lo Nostro and Mateusz Rabiega GDANSK, Poland, April 20 (Reuters) - France and Poland will build a telecommunications satellite for the Polish military, the companies involved in the
France, Poland boost defence ties with military satellite project
Strengthening Economic and Defence Cooperation
By Gianluca Lo Nostro and Mateusz Rabiega
GDANSK, Poland, April 20 (Reuters) - France and Poland will build a telecommunications satellite for the Polish military, the companies involved in the project said on Monday, as Paris and Warsaw strengthen their economic and defence ties.
Joint Satellite Development
Thales Alenia Space, Airbus Defence and Space and Poland's RADMOR will jointly develop a satellite in geostationary orbit, which will support military communications for Poland's armed forces.
Project Value and Political Significance
The value of the deal, announced during French President Emmanuel Macron's meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in the Polish city of Gdansk on Monday, was not disclosed.
European Defence Readiness
The initiative is part of the European Commission's flagship Readiness defence plan to get the continent ready to defend itself by 2030, the companies said in a statement.
Strategic Context and Satellite Technology
Reducing Reliance on Foreign Providers
Europe has been seeking alternative, homegrown satellite services to counter global rivals and reduce reliance on Starlink amid growing concerns about the political unpredictability of its owner, tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Geostationary vs. Low Earth Orbit Satellites
Unlike Starlink's satellites in low Earth orbit, a geostationary spacecraft can cover large regions from a fixed position over 30,000 km above Earth, though with slower speeds.
Nuclear Deterrence and Broader Defence Initiatives
Summit Discussions
NUCLEAR DETERRENCE IN FOCUS
Macron and Tusk, two of the most pro-European Union leaders in the bloc, also discussed nuclear deterrence, energy and the EU's 150-billion-euro Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative during the summit in Gdansk.
France-Poland Defence Treaty
France and Poland, which has the highest defence spending as a percentage of GDP among NATO members, signed a cooperation treaty last year that includes a mutual assistance clause and a pledge to deepen military and technological links between the two countries.
France's Nuclear Expansion
Macron said in March that France, the EU's only nuclear-armed power, will expand its nuclear arsenal and strengthen its deterrent with unprecedented cooperation with European partners.
Strategic Support and Future Cooperation
"In the coming months, and in parallel of course with this greater closeness in the field of nuclear deterrence, there is also what we want to do in terms of strategic support," Macron told reporters on Monday.
"It makes sense to move forward together on missile defence, long‑range capabilities, early‑warning systems, and also to look at everything we can do together in the space domain."
(Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro and Mateusz Rabiega in Gdansk; Editing by Keith Weir and Andrew Heavens)
