With Brexit "done" [...] the starting position for the future relationship has been published (PDF) and, as expected, it appears the UK will have access to the Public Regulated Service (PRS) of Galileo required by the military.
It just won't be able to participate in developing the thing, and its use must also not "contravene the essential security interests of the Union and its Member States", which will doubtless set the "take back control" crowd a-frothing.
[...] Galileo was one of those moments of awakening when UK lawmakers realised that if you leave a club, you also lose access to its toys.
The UK was also blocked from working and bidding on sensitive parts of the system, much to the outrage of politicos taken by surprise at the prospect of not having access to a system into which [it] had poured funds.
[...] UK [announced] that it would build its own version.
The UK military already has access to sensitive bits of GPS, and Galileo's PRS would, certainly initially, be a handy backup. Access to PRS could also render redundant the proposed multibillion-pound Brexit Satellite (BS) system to give the UK its very own sat-nav system.
[...] And then there is the question of national ego. Dr Bleddyn Bowen, lecturer in International Relations and Space Policy at the University of Leicester, told The Register: "I don't know what prestige will be gained as the UK GNSS or Brexit System is widely seen as a waste of resources."
He added that the BS was regarded by many in the space community as "a political vanity project".
The final paragraph (136, b) of the section on Space also requires reciprocal access should the BS go ahead. Never let it be said that Eurocrats don't have a sense of humour.
[..]Should the UK find something better on which to spend the BS billions, and make use of the Galileo PRS instead, Dr Bowen observed that "the GNSS industry can fall into line with all the other industries that are finding it hard going thanks to Brexit".
[...] It wouldn't be the end of the world if 2021 rolls around and quivering fingers are pointing. "Britain could still try to negotiate on it separately again in future if it and the EU wishes," said Bowen.
"It is in the EU's defence and security interests to have the UK able to use the PRS element of Galileo as a passive user." ®
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 06 2020, @03:20AM (5 children)
Who would have guessed?(sarc)
(Score: 2, Flamebait) by aristarchus on Thursday February 06 2020, @05:20AM (3 children)
FTFY. Brexit is a cancer upon the British, a nationalism that grows beyond the bounds of reason or health. Niger Farage is a metastasizing racist upper class twit, who is not even upper class. So, the UK will die. Britain will die. And England will die. But, you know, they were stolen glory to begin with, like Netanyahu taking advantage Trump's dementia to go against all international law and human decency. The House of , who are they again? Non-Markles, I take it. On the other hand, Ireland and Scotland, and Wales and Cornwall, will finally have their freedom. And do quite well. Here is to the success of the Celtic lands, and the destruction of the invading Germans! About frigging time!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Thursday February 06 2020, @06:24AM (2 children)
By Jingo, that's not a new thing.
I think you misspelled twat, 'cause a fool he is not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1, Troll) by aristarchus on Thursday February 06 2020, @07:12AM (1 child)
I am a Greek, and until those bloody limeys return the Elgin marbles, well, this means war. Brexit makes a resolution under international law less likely. So a Greek invasion, or at least a punative expedition, on the British Isles is made more likely by Brexit. And of course, Greece will be able to rely on the aid of its fellow EU members, Ireland and Scotland, to help enforce our claims for the return of out cultural heritage, of else.
(Score: 2) by kazzie on Thursday February 06 2020, @12:35PM
I'm still waiting on the return of Llywelyn's Coronet [wikipedia.org]. They've had that for far longer, so don't hold your breath!
(Score: 2) by kazzie on Thursday February 06 2020, @06:54AM
I was really looking forward to playing some BS Zelda, I bought a Satellaview last week in anticipation!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Thursday February 06 2020, @03:40AM
Piggyback off 1 or more established standards and pick them well, because reinventing the wheel and wasting money on launches will not save you from anti-satellite warfare. All civilized nations should be assumed to have not only anti-satellite missiles but anti-satellite satellites that can give the hug of death.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 06 2020, @04:22AM (2 children)
While they're reinventing satelittes, the Brits should reinvent a new continent nearby to have someone to trade with.
(Score: 5, Funny) by driverless on Thursday February 06 2020, @04:34AM
Maybe they could team up with Iran or North Korea, I hear they've had a lot of experience in going it alone on these sorts of things.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 06 2020, @02:58PM
trade what? they almost build anything anymore!
what is left... expensive housing market and financial and account gambling ?
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 06 2020, @04:53AM (7 children)
You can't be a truly independent nation without a fully capable military. That means you need navigation and nukes, among other things. You also need complete internal supply chains for everything: food, electronics, electric power, petroleum, aluminum (or aluminium), steel, and so on.
Brexit isn't such the big deal either side makes it out to be. People in the UK aren't suddenly going to get the 1st and 2nd amendments. Police will still go grab people for politically incorrect tweets like misgendering and saying "Islam is right about women". Shooting home intruders will still result in the arrest and conviction of the victimized home owner. The birth rate of the natives will still be below replacement. The UK is fucked. So is the rest of Europe. It doesn't matter if they circle the drain together or separately.
(Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Thursday February 06 2020, @06:30AM (3 children)
(paraphrasing an old joke) you seem to say that, with its 1A and 2A, USofA seems to be one step ahead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 06 2020, @07:50AM (2 children)
> The UK is fucked..
I'm not sure. It would be nice to see some swift comeuppance for the foolishness of Brexit. However when push comes to shove (as it regularly does) the country has fields to produce food and an ocean border. When "push comes to shove" on the continent, shit gets real fast. The landmasses of Europe, Russia and Middle East are actually one land mass it turns out. When shit gets real, that is.
If the EU decided to start bombing in Central America we might see shit get real in the USA too. That might be fun.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday February 06 2020, @08:12AM
And the shover you have in mind would be?
This is why UK imports most of its staple food [theguardian.com], right? Since 1846, some brits say [independent.co.uk].
I really like how we judge the things in terms of "can be raided by a determined enough horseman"; those were good times, right?
Various wannabies learned that land access is not quite everything. Napoleon is the first to spring in mind. And so was Hitler, if my memory serve. Not to mention, the Ottomans before them [wikipedia.org].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 06 2020, @08:18AM
The fuuuck? Where this popped up from?
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 06 2020, @07:15AM (1 child)
Tell that to Costa Rica, you war-mongering shill for the Military-Industrial complex! We will kill you with peace and lack of business, by not being afraid. Now go fuch a Marine. Tell him "thank you for your service."
(Score: 0, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 06 2020, @07:23AM
Costa Rica exists because the USA would crush any foe that dared to touch Costa Rica. It's the Monroe doctrine and more.
Costa Rica is thus not really independent. The USA can push it around without even threatening a war. Costa Rica's survival depends on keeping the USA happy enough to provide protection.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 06 2020, @07:16PM
True... just like you can't be a truly independent human unless you can grow your own food, build your own tools (from materials you harvest from the land yourself, mind you), and can defend yourself, etc.
A better question is... are there any "truly independent nations" (or indeed True Scotsmen) in the world? I would suggest there are not. Even ones which theoretically could be independent (the United States, among others) aren't, given how much of an benefit trade and other things provide.
http://www.yourdailypoem.com/listpoem.jsp?poem_id=2118 [yourdailypoem.com]
(Score: 4, Funny) by deimtee on Thursday February 06 2020, @06:48AM (3 children)
No worries, UK cobbers. We're coming.
https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=20/02/05/1332204 [soylentnews.org]
If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 06 2020, @07:57AM (1 child)
It's like a bad movie where the mistreated criminal son has a chance for revenge but instead shows he has a good heart after all. Gonna cost you plenty to see that movie ending, my well-meaning Aussie criminal bastard friends.
(Score: 3, Funny) by fido_dogstoyevsky on Thursday February 06 2020, @08:32AM
Oi!!!
Which of us bastards are you calling a bastard, ya bastard?
It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 06 2020, @08:11AM
http://nsfwyoutube.com/watch?v=iSRTsQbW9qk [nsfwyoutube.com]
Australia to the rescue!
(Score: 1, Troll) by VLM on Thursday February 06 2020, @01:01PM (1 child)
Nobody is asking the question of why future "North Syria" needs a global navigation system, anyway.
Its not like once England is inevitably majority Arab and Muslim that (((the usual suspects))) will let them fly intercontinental jets to bomb Israel.
So what are they going to use a GNSS system for, exactly? Certainly no military purpose, LOL. I would imagine they can find and invade north ireland again with little navigational tech required, for example.
They seemed to run quite a maritime empire centuries ago using little more than compass and semi-accurate chronometers, and they don't have that empire anymore so ...
Also I would think it would be hard to get lost crossing the channel back when they had compass, now you just point down the tunnel and drive, so ...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 06 2020, @02:05PM
I would imagine they can find and invade north ireland again with little navigational tech
You wouldn't want to be betting money on that, would you now?
Also I would think it would be hard to get lost crossing the channel back when they had compass, now you just point down the tunnel and drive,
A lot of them could still miss a tunnel at 20 paces - especially if Boris is leading the way!.
(Score: 2) by Coward, Anonymous on Thursday February 06 2020, @05:56PM
The question is who gets to build Galileo and benefit from all of the spending. Surrey Satellite [sstl.co.uk] has been a major player, but with Brexit, that's in doubt. The societal benefit, if that's you want to call it, is Euro-nationalism. Anyone concerned with safety, reliability, and sovereign power would expect the US to jam and spoof those puppies at will.