U.S. offers EU deal on Galileo satellite system

[Kellanved]

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon would share its satellite know-how if the European Union adopted U.S.-backed technical standards for Galileo, its planned multibillion-dollar satellite navigation tool, U.S. officials said Thursday.

If Europe goes along, the United States also will commit to using the signal structure at issue in the next generation of its own Global Positioning System, turning it into a de facto international standard and unleashing investments, they said.

European refusal, on the other hand, would harm U.S. and NATO security interests "which would be highly corrosive to the transatlantic relationship," said Charles Ries, a deputy assistant secretary of state.

...
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2004-01-09-play-for-galileo_x.htm

[GRClarkesq]

1. GPS precision guided weapons?

Need one standard to use the weapons anywhere in the world?

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. At the heart of the issue

"The signal structure currently favored by the Europeans for the service in question, he said, would give consumers "far more accuracy" than the one pushed by Washington, and the Europeans were keen on a "state-of-the-art" system."

"Above all, the Pentagon is concerned by what it calls the M Code Overlay issue. By this, the U.S. military means it considers it unacceptable for any of Galileo's planned services to overlap the part of the radio frequency spectrum reserved by the GPS system for battlefield purposes.

This "M Code" would let U.S. and NATO commanders jam GPS signals to foes within a radius of 100 to 200 kilometers (62-124 miles). Preserving it is vital to U.S. and allied national security interests, Ries told a briefing at the State Department."

NATO commanders, my arse. That means US military, and the US military alone, would have control.

So the choice is US military control, or better quality. Bit of a no-brainer, isn't it?

[Mikimouse]

3. In the US, we earn power the old fashioned way

stacking the deck, one card at a time.

[GRClarkesq]

4. Why fight fair?

The issue is when to fight.

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. hmmm . . . Make a "deal" with the USA -??? - - - gotta be NUTS !

.
.
. From it's conception, the USA has broken every "deal" (treaty, etc.) it has made since it's founders landed on the North American Continent, to the "dealings" with what NOW are "rogue" nations.

The USA is infamous for "dealing" with people/nations until it doesn't suit their purpose, and either "drop" them as "friends", or just blow their country to sh_t.

Hope the EU don't "bite" on this "deal"