ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author argues that the discursive construction of ‘the battlefield’ is an important element of the process of the militarisation of space. The place where military action occurs is of critical importance in terms of the application of law, specifically that of international humanitarian law. While as a concept, the idea of a ‘battlefield’ may not receive explicit attention in international law journals, Frederic Megret suggests that the the idea of a battlefield ‘haunts’ the law. The militarisation of space brings into relief the issue of how the ‘battlefield’ is constructed, raising questions of what are the ‘war fighting domains’ and how does this impact on processes of militarisation. This chapter presents the results of a preliminary exploration of EU space policy texts to identify the, possibly shifting, constructions of ‘the battlefield’. Its contribution aims to illustrate how the militarisation of space and the weaponisation of space draws, or otherwise, on familiar concepts of ‘the battlefield’.
