NEWS: France Launches First Of New Satellite Type

On saturday Europe launched the 3rd satellite in a primarily French-funded program to become less dependent on American intelligence. The new Helios-2 satellite will be more accurate than the 2 preceeding Helios-1 satellites which were launched in 1995 and 1999. Among the advantages of the Helios-2 are the ability to detect activity in nuclear facilities, small movements of a target (such as if a convoy is stopped or moving), and even human activity. A 4th spy satellite which will be the 2nd of this new class is expected to be launched in the next 3 years.



Although I see nothing wrong with the Europeans developing spy satellites, I do find it interesting that France of all nations has pushed and funded this project. Europe has traditionally be happy to let America foot the bill for policing the world, even during the cold war. That France has begun to take an interest in developing European eyes in the sky seems to highlight the growing rift between European and American interests. Not only will they not be "taking our word for it" on intelligence matters in the future- they'll be keeping an eye on us.

There is an alternate explanation that bears mentioning. France is probably getting so sick of American's calling them wimps that they feel compelled to spend money on defense, yet simply can't bring themselves to build a real weapon. If thats the case, somebody should tell them to cool it- its no secret that they haven't won a war on their own in a couple of centuries, but we all love them anyway right?

France has been pushing the idea of european independence from the us and soviet world powers for over thirty years now, arguing that us and european interests where often the same, but sometimes opposed. For these situations, it is good to have your own intervention, deterrence and reconnaissance capacities.

The galileo positioning system or the developement of military satellites are only a logical consequence of the us vs. un/eu rift created in the last years. If most americans do not trust the quality of us intelligence, why should the euopeans even consider trusting it for more than a second ?

Originally posted by krotzkrotz
. If most americans do not trust the quality of us intelligence, why should the euopeans even consider trusting it for more than a second ?

Hey if was also UK and Russia intel about the Iraq WMDs not just the US. All these sources of intel were telling us he did. These are the best intel sources on the planet CIA,MI6 and KGB(forgot what they are called now)

No, they all said the intelligence was not reliable, and some of Powell's evidence was even uncovered as forgeries. The CIA and MI6 were the only ones to say that the intelligence could be trusted, else they wouldnt even have brought it forward.

The european intelligence agencies had suspicions, but with low probability. the USA and the UK claimed it had extremely high probability. As it turned out, US and UK intelligence is unreliable. Or politically tilted, which would be much worse, and would mean that the US and UK are not democratic, because they have no separation of powers.

"With Helios, our armed forces can benefit from increased capacity, more precise imagery and more rapid reaction capacity. It's also a new example of the quality of European defense cooperation."

French need a sattelite system for their military? Why does it light the sky up and say I surrender?

as posted by krotzkrotz
...they all said the intelligence was not reliable...

Maybe I missed something in all my research on this matter, but would you care to provide a few links that 'they' said that the CIA intelligence information on Saddam's WMDs (which was virtually the same intelligence that the Clinton Administration gathered and documented) and capabilities were "not reliable" (excluding the Nigeria incident)?

Indications are that not only did the CIA/theU.S. believe Saddam had them but:

Believers included the U.N., whose inspectors were tossed out of Iraq after they had recorded huge stockpiles after the Gulf War. No less than French President Jacques Chirac warned as late as last February about "the probable possession of weapons of mass destruction by an uncontrollable country, Iraq" and declared that the "international community is right . . . in having decided Iraq should be disarmed."

So Where's the WMD?


As for France putting into place a 'spy' satellite....big deal.




seekerof

[edit on 21-12-2004 by Seekerof]

in a related story, aliens from twelve planets have arrived to claim the land they say was given to them in a message broadcasted thru space via satellite. According to the aliens, they received a message of surrender from a place called France and they want to set up colonies and take over control of their new land.

I will not be surprised if this new satellite, will be tag by the US as the proof against the French government from trying to spy on the US

After all they are evil and not trustworthy. Right?

What a joke.