On 29 September 2015, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Étienne Schneider, and Chief of Staff of the Army, General Romain Mancinelli, inaugurated the new satellite communications signals military base station as part of the 'Wideband Global Satellite System' (WGS) US defense programme.
Along with Canada, Denmark, New Zealand and the Netherlands, the Grand Duchy has committed to supporting the WGS programme, the satellite communication system of the US defense, until 2031, which will allos the Luxembourg Army to receive satellite capacity at a competitive price.
The 'Haerebierg' station, located near the Grand-Duc Jean military barracks in Diekirch, consists of two parabolic antennae measuring 6.8 metres in diameter. It is connected with a military anchor station in Marche-en-Famenne in Belgium, with a second linkage with a Dutch military station planned for the near future.
In providing global coverage in Luxembourg, the infrastructure now meets the need of the Luxembourg Army in terms of satellite capacity to facilitate logistics and administrative management, transfer of data and the communications of its military units in operation anywhere. In addition, part of the contracted capacity can then become available to military partners.
"Satellite communication is a new niche allowing the Luxembourg Army to diversify its capabilities in a highly valued and sought-after area by our allies," commented General Romain Mancinelli during his speech at the opening. "By occupying this high value niche, we are strengthening the reputation and attractiveness of the Army both domestically and internationally".
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence Étienne Schneider, commended this new step in the modernisation process taken by the Army, stating "With the military satellite anchoring station and the LuxGovSat project, the Army is contributing to the defense effort in highly specialised fields. Both projects promote the space technology sector which we hae actively been supporting for years as part of our national policy of economic diversification".
Photo by Luxembourg Army (L-R: Chief of Staff of the Army, General Romain Mancinelli; Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Étienne Schneider)
