The European Union (EU) earlier this year ended its attempt to turn the joint EU/ESA operated commercial Galileo navigation signal into a revenue service – always an unlikely prospect given that its competitors the US GPS and Russian Glonass signals are free. However, the European Commission – the EU’s executive branch – has now formally given the United Kingdom notice that, for security reasons, it may no longer have access to the more accurate encrypted Galileo military/governmental navigation signal called the “Public Regulated Service” once the UK leaves the EU (Brexit). Without access to this secret element, this will effectively mean that UK industry – especially SSTL and other UK-based arms of Airbus – will no longer be able to bid for further Galileo work.
The EU is also reported to be seeking the right to cancel existing contracts with British suppliers post-Brexit. Already a planned back-up security monitoring centre for the constellation has been moved from the UK to Spain.
While these announcements may just be part of a positioning strategy ahead of a formal Brexit negotiation on the subject, the news has reportedly infuriated ministers in the British government especially over access to military signals of the system which the UK helped to fund. The UK has been especially concerned that UK-EU security ties be maintained after Brexit.
Artist’s impression of Galileo satellite. Courtesy: ESA
