With the Iranian sanctions regime steadily coming apart, it is only a matter of time before Iran acquires – or even develops on its own – a high-resolution imaging satellite that will revolutionise its military and civil remote-sensing capabilities. Such a development is of particular concern to a number of countries …
Read More »There are no borders seen from space…A beautiful picture of the Middle East taken from the ISS
There are no borders seen from space…that such beauty can be discerned from a part of the world – the Cradle of Civilization – where so much tragedy and suffering occurs is perhaps the cruelest of ironies. From space the political unrest in Egypt, the ongoing conflict between the Palestinians …
Read More »United States to start space security dialogues with GCC states
A senior US government official has announced that the United States should like to enter in to space security dialogues with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states in the coming months. Speaking at the 32nd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on 14 April 2016, the US Assistant Secretary of …
Read More »French Satellite Dominance in the Middle East Set to Expand
With an imminent satellite deal with Egypt, France is set to become the satellite manufacturer of choice for Middle East countries. John B. Sheldon, Chairman and President of ThorGroup GmbH, analyzes the geopolitical implications of this important deal. French President Francois Hollande and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi are expected to …
Read More »Disrupt Space summit successfully kickstarts the commercial space sector in Europe
The first Disrupt Space summit was held on 7-8 April 2016. Over the course of two days, 200 top entrepreneurs and decision makers from across the world came to Bremen, Germany, to solve global industry and sustainability challenges using space proposed by select international organizations and participated in high-level workshops …
Read More »Turkey on the cusp of creating its own space agency
Reports suggest that Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is expected to announce the creation of the Turkish Space Agency within the next three months. The Turkish Space Agency will be located in the town of Kazan near the capital Ankara, and will be a joint responsibility of the Turkish military’s …
Read More »US military using space and cyber against Daesh
During a press conference on 12 April 2016 with journalists on his flight to the 32nd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, United States, the US Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work said that Daesh are being hit hard by coalition operations, to include so-called “cyber bombs” and by the use …
Read More »The Turkish-Qatari plot thickens
Shared views on the Muslim Brotherhood and Syria’s civil war saw the two countries join sides. But now a new interest binds them: reconnaissance capabilities – and Turkey’s earth observation satellites have never been as attractive. But does this defence cooperation have a space component? And what does such a …
Read More »Egypt to buy French military satellite in $1.2B arms deal
By John B. Sheldon Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi is expected to sign a US$1.2 billion arms deal with French President François Hollande when the leader of France visits Cairo on April 18, according to French newspaper La Tribune. Among the items in the deal is a military communications …
Read More »Russia aids North African counterterrorism operations with satellite imagery
In recent weeks, the Russian Government has provided Algerian and Tunisian authorities with intelligence and military aid to strengthen counterterrorism efforts in the fight against Islamic State terrorists operating in the region. The counterterrorism aid package includes the supply of Russian high-resolution satellite imagery of key Algerian border crossings with …
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