Special to WorldTribune.com

Bill Gertz, Washington Free Beacon

A French satellite company has suspended a deal with Moscow to build spy satellites for the Russian military amid U.S. concerns the satellites will contain U.S.-origin technology and violate sanctions and U.S. export controls.

The plan by Thales Alenia Space to sell the reconnaissance satellites would undermine newly imposed U.S. sanctions on Moscow for its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea earlier this year, according to U.S. officials.

U.S. intelligence agencies recently expressed concerns in internal reports that two Thales satellites being built for the Russian military were expected to contain U.S.-origin space technology.

Thales, also a major contractor for the Pentagon for high-technology goods, was implicated in the illicit transfer to China of U.S.-origin space technology several years ago, specifically radiation-hardened components, and other dual-use, military-civilian space technology.

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  French company Thales suspends spy satellite deal with Russia after U.S. intel concerns, LIFE, WorldTribune.com