European giants take on Elon Musk's satellite dominance
As Politico reports, three European companies are planning to create a joint entity to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX. The initiative aims to boost the production of telecommunications satellites. Experts believe this is a significant step toward Europe's strategic independence.
In January, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized Europe’s lack of alternatives to Starlink, underscoring the continent’s delays in developing public communication technologies.
Her comments followed a Bloomberg report about a potential agreement between the Italian government and Starlink to offer secure telecommunication services for government and public administration use.
The proposed deal, reportedly valued at $1.6 billion, would include providing Italy with "a full range of top-tier encryption solutions for phone and internet services used by the government," according to Bloomberg.
Europe's answer to Elon Musk
According to Italian authorities in January, the plan also includes offering communication services to the Italian military in the Mediterranean and implementing satellite services that connect directly to cell phones in crises such as terrorist attacks or natural disasters.
On Monday, March 10, the weekly magazine "Variety" detailed how Elon Musk is still working to finalize a deal with Italy, despite strong opposition from various political factions. His actions suggest he wants to meet President Sergio Mattarella, who, as the magazine notes, is considered a strong advocate for exploring other satellite service providers, such as the French-British competitor to Starlink, OneWeb.
In January, the Italian Prime Minister questioned why Italy and Europe had not acted sooner to develop secure public communication technologies. Politico noted that this concern is particularly relevant given U.S. President Donald Trump's unpredictable foreign policy, citing a recent case in which a U.S. satellite company allegedly restricted Ukraine’s access to imagery following an "administrative request."
In a March 10 article, Politico wrote that three European companies – Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales Alenia Space – plan to establish a joint venture in response to actions by competitors like Musk. Their goal is to increase satellite production, especially for telecommunications in low Earth orbit, allowing them to compete with telecommunications giant Starlink and Musk's space company SpaceX.
Aleksandra Wójtowicz, an analyst at PISM, emphasized that European countries must invest in their technologies, particularly in communications, to enhance security. She highlighted that this approach would ensure compliance with EU data regulations and mitigate the risk of losing access to critical communication channels in times of crisis.
Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales: together against SpaceX?
According to Politico, Italy holds a 30% stake in Leonardo, which controls 33% of Thales Alenia Space. While Paris backs the project, Germany may block it due to concerns about France and Italy dominating the space sector. The portal noted, "Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently opposed another merger meant to create a pan-European giant between the Italian bank UniCredit and the German Commerzbank."
The partnership between Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales Alenia Space aims to consolidate expertise in the space industry and strengthen their position in securing government space projects. According to Paweł Fleisher, Vice President of the Association of Polish Space Sector Professionals, the initiative responds to increasing competition from the U.S. and China. He also noted that previous European efforts, such as IRIS, no longer meet modern technological demands.
According to Politico, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, supports consolidating European aviation giants. However, creating a joint entity among Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales Alenia Space, known as "Project Bromo," would require broader EU approval due to competition rules limiting market monopolization.
