On 18th January 2023, the signing of the “operational” memorandum of understanding in Paris marked the creation of the NATO space Centre Of Excellence (COE) dedicated to space defence.
French expertise in space defence
Located in Toulouse, at the heart of the largest Space ecosystem in Europe, co-located with the French Air Force Space Command and the Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES), it will include about fifty people, both military and civilian, and will be the 29th NATO accredited COE. Its location marks the recognition of French expertise in the field of space and France's commitment as a framework nation in NATO.
To provide NATO and the nations of the Alliance with expertise and work force
The COE mission is to provide NATO and the nations of the Alliance with expertise and work force in the field of space military operations, through 4 pillars: conceptual development and experimentation, doctrine and standardization, training and training, analysis and feedback.
Full operational capacity in 2025
The NATO Space COE undertakes to strengthen European space skills. It will reach its full operational capacity in 2025.