The alliance is spelled out in a secret UK-US treaty signed in 1948 to provide for privileged sharing of signals intelligence between the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. While France gave the UK key intelligence during the Falklands war, Washington, seeking a diplomatic solution, held back. And in an episode which left Whitehall officials trembling with shock, Washington stopped passing relevant intelligence to London in December 1994, when the senate voted to lift the UN arms blockade against ex-Yugoslavia. Two years later President Clinton launched a salvo of cruise missiles against Iraq after Saddam Hussein moved into the northern Kurdish area of the country. France said imagery from its Helios satellite showed the troop movements to be insignificant and refused to support the strikes.
Spy satellites are expensive.
British intelligence officials ask why they should start paying for European satellites when they can get more accurate imagery from the US for free. France argues that Europe will not be able to have an independent foreign policy so long as it is dependent on the Americans for satellite intelligence. Spain and Italy have contributed to the French-sponsored Helios satellite programme. Germany, as the chart illustrates, is developing a high-resolution satellite in response to American reluctance to share intelligence during the Kosovo war. Intelligence from Helios and SARLupe will be shared among EU partners.