France Calls for EU Shift Away From US Defense, Space Tech

The European Union must reduce its dependence on US technology in defense and space if it wants to ensure strategic autonomy, France’s minister in charge of higher education and research said, calling for a bloc-wide “Buy European Act” and coordinated investment in satellite systems.

Speaking on the sidelines of a European space conference in Brussels, French minister Philippe Baptiste said the EU’s reliance on US-made defense equipment and launch is a strategic vulnerability as geopolitical conditions shift and access to critical infrastructure can no longer be taken for granted.

“If the European Union wants to be serious about defense, the first step is to stop buying non-European components,” Baptiste said. “We need a kind of ‘Buy European Act.’ Let’s stop buying off-the-shelf components that are not European.”

The EU depends heavily on US-manufactured missiles, fighter jets and advanced defense systems. In space, Europe has also relied on Elon Musk’s SpaceX to launch key satellites, including elements of the Galileo navigation system, which provides positioning services independent of the US GPS network.

Baptiste said recent political developments have highlighted the risks of that dependence. “The world has drastically changed and our main ally has become highly unpredictable,” he said, referring to US foreign policy under President Donald Trump. “We need autonomous access to space. That is a radical change from how we have operated.”

He said Europe must design and deploy its own satellite constellations to avoid external control. “We need European satellite constellations, which means there is no American kill switch,” Baptiste said.

Concerns about reliance on US companies have intensified since the war in Ukraine, where Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service was temporarily disrupted during a Ukrainian counteroffensive, affecting military communications. Baptiste cited the episode as an illustration of how commercial decisions can carry strategic consequences.

“We need ITAR-free constellations,” he said, referring to the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations that govern the export and use of sensitive technologies. “I agree with Germany. We think it’s very urgent and we cannot wait 10 years.”

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites are a central focus of the debate. LEO systems are critical for military, security and communications applications because they offer lower signal latency than higher-orbit satellites. Baptiste warned that Europe is lagging behind in this segment and said fragmented national efforts would be ineffective.

“With the bloc behind in Low Earth Orbit, there is no point in individual countries building their own systems,” he said. “This has to be done at EU level.”

He said the strategic environment has shifted as space assets become targets in modern conflict. “Today, some countries have weaponized satellites. This is not science fiction; it exists,” Baptiste said, adding that Europe’s aerospace industry needs closer cooperation.

China, Russia and the United States have all demonstrated anti-satellite capabilities and deployed maneuverable spacecraft, raising concerns that satellites could be disrupted or disabled during conflicts. Such attacks could compromise navigation, communications and defense coordination across Europe.

Europe’s own launch capabilities have also faced setbacks. The Ariane 6 rocket, designed to secure independent access to space, completed its first mission only last year after years of delays, reinforcing Europe’s reliance on non-European launch providers.

France is also pushing for international discussions on regulating LEO satellite deployments as orbital congestion increases. The growing number of satellites has raised the risk of collisions and intensified competition for limited radio-frequency spectrum.

“We need to have discussions among the big players,” Baptiste said. “It is Europe, the United States and China. It is overcrowded up there. There is no choice.”

He warned that collisions in orbit would have consequences regardless of national policies. “When there will be a collision with a Chinese satellite, whether it is America First or not, you have a collision,” he said.

The push for greater autonomy is already reshaping Europe’s space industry. The dominance of US companies such as SpaceX and Starlink has accelerated consolidation among European aerospace and satellite firms as they seek greater scale, funding and technological capability.

Policy momentum is reinforced by budgetary commitments. The EU’s 2026 budget, approved by the European Parliament, totals €192.8 billion (US$208.2 billion) in commitments and US$205.3 billion in payments, with increased allocations for defense, security, competitiveness and research.

The budget includes additional funding for defense capabilities, critical technologies, military mobility, and transport and energy infrastructure. Resources for border protection, crisis management and civil preparedness were also expanded, reflecting concerns over hybrid threats and infrastructure security.

At the national level, defense spending continues to rise. EU member states spent US$370.4 billion on defense in 2024, according to the European Defence Agency, marking a tenth consecutive annual increase and a 19% rise from 2023. Defense expenditure reached 1.9% of EU GDP, up from 1.6% a year earlier. By comparison, the United States spent US$912.6 billion on defense in 2024.