Greece Selected for EU Secure Satellite Program

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Greece Selected for EU Secure Satellite Program
Greece EU satellite
The GOVSATCOM HUB will operate in Greece, as part of the European Space Programme. Public Domain

Greece has been selected as the base of one of two hubs of the European Union’s secure satellite telecommunications program GOVSATCOM.

As stated in a joint announcement by the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Digital Governance, by decision of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Greece has been selected, together with Germany, to assume a central role in the implementation of one of the most critical security infrastructures of the EU, which will operate in the country until at least 2051.

The GOVSATCOM HUB which will operate in Greece, as part of the European Space Program, will be the hub for managing and providing secure satellite communications for critical infrastructures of all EU member states without any possibility of interference from third countries or other external threats.

GOVSATCOM is one of the elements of the Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy of June 2016. The Program will contribute to the EU’s response to specific threats and will provide support to the EU Maritime Strategy and the EU Arctic Policy.

According to the EU, it has three main uses:

  • Crisis management, which may include civilian and military by common security and defense missions and operations, natural and man-made disasters, humanitarian crises and maritime emergencies.
  • Surveillance, such as border and maritime surveillance or surveillance of illegal trafficking.
  • Key infrastructures, e.g. Institutional Communications, various types of Critical Infrastructure, including Transport as well as EU space infrastructures such as Galileo and EGNOS.

EU satellite “highlights Greece’s strategic role”

“The decision to install one of the two GovSatCom satellite communications hubs in our country highlights the geopolitical and strategic role of Greece as a pillar of security and stability of the European Union,” National Defence Minister Nikos Dendias stressed.

“Hosting the hub in Attica is also a practical confirmation of the confidence shown by the European Union in our infrastructure and operational capabilities. The GovSatCom hub will ensure secure and reliable satellite communications for the country’s defense, the protection of critical infrastructure and crisis management in the European Union,” he added.

“At the same time, it paves the way for the further development of our satellite capabilities and the upgrading of our position as a reliable partner in European and international programs,” Dendias concluded.

On his part, the Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou, stated: “The choice of Greece as one of the two seats of the European GOVSATCOM is a clear recognition of our progress in the technological sector.

“With systematic effort, our country is establishing itself as an innovation hub at the European level, a fact that is particularly crucial for the broader development path and the strengthening of the domestic technological ecosystem.”

Related: Greece Joins European Missile Defense Project

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