Britain is strengthening its military capabilities in space, with the Royal Air Force establishing a dedicated new squadron to help safeguard the satellite systems upon which the Armed Forces, national infrastructure and everyday life increasingly depend.
The announcement came at the UK Space Power Conference last month, where military commanders, government officials, scientists, defence industry representatives and international allies gathered to discuss the growing importance of space to Britain’s national security.
From guiding Royal Navy warships and supporting British troops overseas to providing secure military communications and tracking potential threats, satellites have become indispensable to modern defence. Yet much of the technology that makes this possible remains invisible to the public.
RAF establishes new squadron to defend Britain’s interests in space
No. III Space Effects Squadron is the RAF’s first dedicated unit tasked with countering hostile threats to Britain’s space capabilities. Announced by Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smyth, it will bring together specialist personnel and develop the ability to disrupt, degrade and deny hostile activity, including through electronic warfare.
The new squadron complements No. I Space Operations Squadron and No. II Space Warning Squadron, which help monitor space activity and provide warning of threats. Its mission will include both defensive and offensive space operations, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Air Chief Marshal Smyth 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.”
The invisible technology protecting British troops
British forces rely on space-based systems for secure communications, navigation, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, missile warning and weather information. These capabilities help connect commanders with deployed personnel and support ships, aircraft and troops operating far from home.
Wing Commander Neal Henley, Chief of Staff of the Joint Force Space Component, told the RAF that dependence on space is now widely recognised across Defence. He warned that understanding vulnerabilities and protecting access to essential services matters not only to the military but to society as a whole.
A new battlefield where threats are difficult to see
Potential adversaries can interfere with satellite signals, mount cyber attacks, target ground infrastructure or operate satellites capable of threatening other objects in orbit. UK Space Command must be able to detect and track activity, assess its purpose and help Britain respond appropriately.
The Ministry of Defence says the new squadron is intended to help preserve Britain’s freedom to operate in space. The UK has also ruled out destructive anti-satellite missile testing and says it remains committed to the peaceful and sustainable use of space.
A proud British satellite heritage
Britain’s military space ambitions build on decades of technological achievement. The first Skynet military communications satellite was launched in 1969, beginning a programme that has supported British defence communications for generations.
The Skynet 6 programme is designed to deliver the next generation of sovereign military satellite communications. The Ministry of Defence says more than £5 billion is being invested in the wider Skynet programme over ten years. The Skynet 6A satellite is being developed and manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space UK, with launch scheduled for 2027.
Other projects include ISTARI, which aims to improve space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability, a UK-US-Australian initiative intended to detect and track objects in Earth orbit. The proposed British radar site is at Cawdor Barracks in Pembrokeshire.
The Noctis sensor network and Borealis mission system are also intended to strengthen Britain’s understanding of what is happening in orbit.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with allies
Britain is working with international partners through Operation Olympic Defender and the Combined Space Operations initiative to share information and coordinate responses to threats. The UK Space Power Conference also emphasised cooperation with British industry, academia and other government departments.
That partnership matters because satellites support far more than military operations. Navigation, communications, financial transactions, weather forecasting, transport and energy infrastructure all rely to varying degrees on space-enabled services.
Britain’s updated Space Strategy, published in September 2026, estimates that satellites underpin 18 per cent of UK GDP, illustrating the scale of the national interest at stake.
Protecting the future
The establishment of No. III Space Effects Squadron is a reminder that defending Britain no longer begins and ends on land, at sea or in the skies above our shores. It also depends on the ability to protect vital systems operating hundreds or thousands of miles above the Earth.
From the engineers developing British satellites to the RAF specialists monitoring potential threats, the country’s space capability is an increasingly important part of national defence.
Britain has a proud record of military innovation and scientific achievement. Maintaining that tradition in space will require skilled personnel, resilient technology, trusted allies and sustained attention to the threats of a changing world.
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