The short version
- The British military is using ground-based systems to block or jam satellites from other nations to deter hostile tracking of sensitive operations.
- Defense officials warn that adversaries are increasingly targeting space infrastructure, posing risks to both national security and daily economic functions like banking and navigation.
- A new RAF unit has been established to disrupt threats in orbit, coinciding with similar defensive moves by the United States and rising tensions involving Russia and China.
The British military has begun using ground-based systems to jam or block satellites operated by other countries, a move designed to defend against hostile threats. According to information provided to the BBC, the Royal Air Force has employed this capability for approximately one year. A defense source indicated that the system has already been utilized to deter adversaries, specifically aiming to prevent foreign nations from tracking the movements of UK nuclear-armed submarines or monitoring sensitive special forces operations.
This development coincides with the creation of a new RAF unit, the Space Effects Squadron, which is tasked with disrupting, degrading, and denying hostile threats in space. The establishment of this squadron reflects a broader strategic shift as military leaders assess the growing vulnerability of orbital assets. Air Chief Marshal Sir Harvey Smyth stated that the UK faces unprecedented threats from adversaries in space, noting that challenges in orbit increasingly mirror geopolitical tensions on Earth.
Defense Secretary Wes Streeting emphasized the critical dependency of modern society on satellite infrastructure during a speech at the UK Space Conference. He noted that daily life relies on satellites for mobile phone connectivity, banking applications, weather forecasting, and energy supply management. Streeting warned that the loss of GPS services alone could cost the UK economy 1.4 billion pounds per day, arguing that such disruptions would undermine daily freedoms and public trust in institutions.
The threat landscape has intensified with reports of increased adversarial activity. Last year, the head of UK Space Command stated that Russia was attempting to jam UK satellites using ground-based systems on a weekly basis. More recently, the RAF tracked dangerous maneuvers by five Russian satellites moving close to two Finnish commercial satellites in May. In June, Air Chief Marshal Smyth reported that a Russian satellite constellation had caused disruptions to GPS signals across Europe and Canada.
The United States has also moved to bolster its space defenses, confirming for the first time that it has deployed an unspecified weapon in space to protect its own satellites. This announcement drew condemnation from both China and Russia, who warned that such actions could trigger an arms race in orbit. Washington has previously accused both Moscow and Beijing of developing their own space weapons, including electronic jammers, lasers designed to blind other satellites, and projectiles capable of being fired from orbit.
While the UK maintains only a handful of military satellites for surveillance and communications, it works closely with the US Space Force, which operates a significantly larger fleet. A defense source described the UK’s terrestrial electronic warfare capability as world-leading, suggesting that ground-based systems play a crucial role in national defense strategy. The integration of these capabilities aims to create a layered defense against increasingly sophisticated threats.
Air Chief Marshal Smyth highlighted the broader implications of space instability for civilian life and economic prosperity. He warned that without reliable satellite support, sectors ranging from emergency services to climate monitoring would become less efficient and secure. Sat-nav failures could lead to severe road congestion, while delays in emergency response times could endanger lives. The ability to monitor weather patterns and climate change effects also depends heavily on uninterrupted satellite data.
As geopolitical tensions rise, the militarization of space remains a contentious issue. While Western nations frame their actions as defensive measures necessary to protect critical infrastructure, adversaries view them as provocative steps that destabilize the orbital environment. The UK’s decision to actively jam foreign satellites marks a significant escalation in its approach to space security, reflecting a growing consensus among allied nations that passive defense is no longer sufficient against modern threats.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- BBC News↗UK military jamming other nation's satellites to defend itself, BBC told
