CHOD opens the seminar 'Satellites as a key element for defence and other governmental uses'

• Admiral General, Teodoro E. López Calderón, gave the inaugural conference of this meeting organized by representatives of the digital technology industry in Spain

The Chief of the Defence Staff (JEMAD in Spanish), Admiral General Teodoro E. López Calderón, gave the inaugural conference of the XIV seminar organized by the Territorial Council of Cantabria of AMETIC, the Spanish association of the digital technology industry sector in Santander today.

The JEMAD has focused his speech on the growing importance of space in the field of Security and Defence, not just within the Armed Forces but for the country’s prosperity and normal functioning.

He stressed that "the possibility of deploying weapons systems and the need to protect in orbit assets is leading to a growing militarization of space" which, along with "the progressive accessibility and price reduction of space technology, increasingly fosters competition for spatial hegemony”. A circumstance that "most likely will generate friction and even conflicts over rights to use of space orbits".

Admiral General López Calderón also underlined the "huge relevance of space capabilities for the Armed Forces, since they support us with a series of products and services that are increasingly essential in our operations".

The JEMAD has concluded his speech by insisting on "the idea that it is necessary to protect access to space for our space assets so the Armed Forces, as the main player in Security and Defence matters in the space field, require to equip themselves with those resources which will allow them to carry out operations in space”.

In this edition, from September 7 to 9 and under the title 'Satellites as a key element for defence and government uses', representatives of the Armed Forces, the Ministry for Defence, the Ministry for Industry, Commerce and Tourism and the Ministry for Science and Innovation will debate about space and space capabilities.

The seminar is divided into eight workshops and several conferences in which the speakers will discuss the development of space programs applied to the field of defence and the role of the Spanish space industry. A large group of representatives of the Defence General Staff participate in these workshops, including the Chief of Joint Staff, Lieutenant General Fernando García González-Valerio and the Commander of the Operations Command, Lieutenant General Francisco Braco Carbó.

The closing session for these workshops will be in charge of the Secretary of State for Defence, Amparo Valcarce García.