RAF jams hostile satellite signals as UK sets up first space squadron

The British military has confirmed that it has expanded the defence of the UK into space to counter threats from hostile states. The RAF has been using a ground-based system to jam signals from satellites operated by countries such as Russia, according to defence sources.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said rapid advances in battlefield technology, highlighted by the war in Ukraine, mean the UK must be ready for space as the next battleground. He announced that Britain is standing up a new unit, the No 3 Space Effects Squadron, described as the first ever space squadron dedicated to disrupting, degrading and denying hostile threats in space.

The unit will be able to conduct offensive and defensive operations, the government said. Its aims include strengthening deterrence, reducing opportunities for coercion and enhancing the resilience of UK space capabilities. It will also disrupt, degrade and deny hostile activity and defend UK interests in space and on Earth.

Defence sources say the RAF has used the ground-based electronic warfare system for the past 12 months. A defence source said it had already been used to deter adversaries and described it as world-leading. Blocking satellite signals could stop Russia tracking the movement of Britain's nuclear-armed submarines, or help hide the deployment of British troops and military jets. The system could also be used to protect sensitive operations involving special forces.

Officials stressed how much civilian life depends on space, from the internet and bank transfers to GPS. If satellites were attacked, sat-nav systems would fail, road congestion could cause havoc and emergency services would take much longer to reach people in need. The warnings reflect growing concern that space is becoming a war-fighting domain.

The development comes after the United States confirmed for the first time that it has deployed an unspecified weapon in space to protect its satellites. UK military personnel are already embedded with the US Space Force. The UK has not deployed a weapon in orbit. The United States, China and Russia can also block signals in space, and Russia has been trying to jam British satellites every week. Britain has only a handful of military satellites and remains a minor player, but ministers say they do not want the UK left behind in the space race or left defenceless.

In a studio discussion, former defence minister Johnny Mercer said the threat had been developing over several years and that satellites are now central to military and civilian systems. He pointed to the UK's innovation record, noting that an instrument designed or made at the University of Leicester has been in space every year since 1967. He also said the UK had overbalanced on the post-Cold War peace dividend and that funding and political commitment remained unresolved. The discussion touched on whether the UK will meet a target to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030, with next year's spending review and the October Budget expected to be key moments.