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The United Kingdom will launch a new Royal Air Force squadron to protect satellites and counter hostile activity in space, the government said on Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said Britain must “keep pace in the new space race”.
New unit to target threats in orbit
The new No III Space Effects Squadron will bring together specialist personnel from across the armed forces. Its mission will include defending satellites that provide missile warnings, communications and navigation services for ships.
Two existing RAF units — No I Space Operations Squadron and No II Space Warning Squadron — already monitor and warn of threats in space.
The Ministry of Defence said the new squadron would focus on responding to those threats. It will use technologies including electronic warfare to “disrupt, degrade and deny hostile actions”.
Capabilities expected to expand
The unit is also intended to support offensive and defensive space operations. Its capabilities are expected to expand as new technologies enter service.
“Control of the waves was the essential ingredient in 19th-century deterrence,” Streeting said.
“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,” he added.
The ministry said the squadron would help protect space-based systems that people on Earth rely on every day, while strengthening the UK’s ability to respond to threats in orbit.
