DRTM
The Western European Union, consisting of nine principal member states (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom), and 18 other nations in lesser roles, constitutes the defense organization of the 12-state European Union. Since 1988 the WEU has considered the formation of a space agency, the European Satellite Control Agency (ESCA), with a primary objective of performing national security reconnaissance from space with emphasis on treaty verification capabilities. The WEU held a colloquy in Paris in June, 1993, to further examine the requirements and utility of an ESCA. After postponing a decision of integrating WEU requirements and funding with the French-led Helios program, the WEU in 1991 -1992 decided to establish an image processing and interpretation center which would initially work with data from SPOT, Helios, ERS, and other commercial sources, including data from Russian photorecons.
The WEU Satellite Center at Spain's Torrejon Air Base near Madrid opened in April, 1993, and almost immediately came under fire for its limited data processing capabilities. After overcoming additional budget pressures, the center appeared to be on firmer ground by the end of 1994 with a decision expected in 1995 to make the facility permanent. The center's present objectives are to demonstrate the application of space imagery in the fields of treaty verification, crisis-monitoring, and environmental monitoring. The concept of operating an independent WEU satellite system, perhaps by taking over the Helios 2 and Horus programs, has gained some support in the WEU. However, simultaneous operations of Helios and a separate WEU network are unlikely (References 47-57).
