Britain gears up for space war as RAF launches unit to disrupt enemy satellites
The RAF has launched Britain’s first dedicated military squadron capable of actively fighting back against hostile threats in space, as ministers warn the country must prepare for a new era in which control of orbit could become as important as control of the seas or skies.
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No. III Space Effects Squadron will bring together specialists from across the Armed Forces and will be tasked with disrupting, degrading and denying hostile activity targeting British interests in space.
It marks a significant change in Britain’s military approach to space. Existing RAF units monitor what is happening in orbit and provide warning of potential threats, but the new squadron will be designed to actually act against them, including through the use of electronic warfare.
The Ministry of Defence says the unit will carry out both defensive and offensive space operations and will expand as new capabilities enter service.
At stake are satellites which have quietly become critical to almost every part of modern British life.
They help guide Royal Navy ships, provide intelligence and early warning of missile launches, support mobile phone networks and weather forecasting and underpin satellite navigation used by police, firefighters and ambulances.
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The same technology is also relied upon by parts of Britain’s energy network and an increasingly connected economy, meaning an attack hundreds or thousands of miles above Earth could potentially have very real consequences on the ground.
The new unit was announced by Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smyth at the first UK Space Power Conference, amid growing concern about the ability of hostile states to jam, interfere with or potentially disable satellites.
While No. I Space Operations Squadron and No. II Space Warning Squadron provide the ability to monitor space and warn of threats, No. III Squadron will give the UK a dedicated unit capable of responding to them.
Sir Harv said: “Space no longer supports operations from the sidelines. It’s a domain of direct competition, where our military advantage can be won or lost.
“No. III Space Effects Squadron will safeguard the vital benefits that space gives to our integrated armed forces, and will be capable of denying those benefits to our adversaries.”
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting is also expected to use the conference to warn that Britain’s dependence on space has made it an increasingly important target for its adversaries.
“Britain has to keep pace in the new space race,” he is expected to say.
“Control of the waves was the essential ingredient in 19th century deterrence. That is why Britain built the finest naval power in history. In the 20th century it was control of the skies, and so we built a world class air force to protect us. This century will depend on control of space.
“Our dependency on space is precisely why it is increasingly under threat from our adversaries. That threat is growing in scale, speed, and sophistication. And challenges in space increasingly mirror the geopolitics on Earth.”
He will add that his job is to ensure Britain’s deterrence in space is “as strong as it is on Earth” and that the Armed Forces can deter or, if necessary, defeat an adversary in any domain.
The creation of the squadron comes just weeks after the government published its new UK Space Strategy, which puts greater emphasis on the military and national security importance of space and is backed by £7.8 billion of government investment to 2030.
It includes plans to strengthen Britain’s ability to understand what is happening in orbit, communicate securely with satellites and protect the services they provide.
For the military, that increasingly means being able to continue operating even when an adversary is deliberately trying to interfere with those systems.
The government calls this its “Control of Space Requirement,” maintaining Britain’s freedom to operate in space while having the ability to deny an adversary the same advantage.
No. III Squadron will form part of that capability, including the development of electronic warfare and countermeasures designed to protect against anti-satellite weapons.
The UK is investing £880 million between 2026/27 and 2029/30 in space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and space control activities.
However, ministers insist the move does not mean Britain is abandoning its commitment to the peaceful use of space.
The UK has ruled out destructive anti-satellite missile testing and continues to support international rules aimed at reducing dangerous behaviour in orbit.