Officially known as the China Remote Sensing Satellite North Polar Ground Station located in Kiruna, northern Sweden which was built by China in 2016 and run by the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), may be used to complement or provide additional surveillance.
According to FOI researchers, “China could be using the station – which relays images of the arctic regions – to complement military intelligence or provide additional military satellite surveillance should Chinese military satellites be disabled in a time of war”
One of the researchers, John Rydqvist said “if the information collected played a military role, Swedish authorities should be concerned”
Even though, the Swedish Space Corporation responded to the allegation that the cooperate with China is strictly civilian, Rydqvist still believes that the company should step up scrutiny of the station.
He added that “As a Swedish, 100 per cent government-owned company, if there is at all any doubt that what you are doing with China could enhance military capability, it doesn’t matter if you can go anywhere else – you’re not supposed to do it,”.
“It’s not good for Sweden, and it could potentially be problematic in our important security cooperation with the rest of the EU and the US. If there’s the least amount of doubt, don’t do it.”
