Satnews Daily
September 10th, 2018

France to Invest $4 Billion in Military Satellite Technologies


Paris will spend 3.6 billion euros (over $4 billion) for military satellites renewal, French Defense Minister Florence Parly told the French radio station Europe 1.


France's Minister
of Defence,
Florence Parly.

She went on to say that the new satellites would have surveillance cameras so that France could "just know who approaches." The news comes just days after the minister accused Moscow of committing "an act of espionage" back in 2017, claiming that a Russian satellite had approached the French-Italian military satellite Athena-Fidus in order to intercept its communications.

On June 28, the French parliament adopted a bill on military planning for 2019 to 2025, envisaging the increase of defense spending up to 2 percent of the country's GDP, which means that French military expenses should reach 295 billion euros by 2025.

The move is in line with French President Emmanuel Macron's campaign promises, as well as with the NATO's military expenditure targets. In 2014, the NATO member states pledged to increase their defense spending up to 2 percent of their GDPs within 10 years.