On March 8th, France launched its first military exercise in space to evaluate its ability to defend its satellites and other defense equipment from an attack.
The exercise involves 18 simulated events from 8 to 12 March, conducted in France’s Space Command operations room in Toulouse.
It is “first for the French armies and even the first in Europe,” according to General Michel Friedling, commander of French Space Command.
The newly-created US Space Force and the German Space Situational Awareness Centre are also participating in this exercise.
The exercises are a “stress-test of our systems,” said Michel Friedling.
The exercise, codenamed “AsterX” in memory of the first French satellite from 1965, will be based on 18 simulated events in an operations room.
France Space Forces Command, along with US and Russia, has begun its first military exercises in space in a bid to test its ability to defend its satellites.
The French military will carry out drills to test the capabilities of its Space Command in tackling threats to its satellites. The exercises are part of France's strategy to become the world's third-largest space power.