LONDON: Britain announced Wednesday it will launch a new military space squadron tasked with defending the country's satellites, the latest move as nations rush to bolster military space capabilities.
The new Royal Air Force squadron will protect critical satellites used for communications and to warn of incoming missile attacks, the Ministry of Defence said.
Officials described the unit, to be known as No. III Space Effects Squadron, as the country's first dedicated to "disrupting, degrading, and denying enemy activity targeting British interests in space."
The ministry noted the U.K. launched two squadrons in 2023 that "watch and warn" of space threats, while the new unit will "act against those threats, using advanced technology, including electronic warfare."
Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth will formally unveil the squadron Wednesday at a two-day U.K. Space Power Conference starting in London, where Defence Secretary Wes Streeting will also warn that Britain must "keep pace in the new space race."
The announcement comes just over a week after the United States confirmed for the first time that it has arms deployed in orbit above the Earth.
That prompted China to warn against turning outer space into a "battlefield" and Russia to caution it must be "free from any weapon," amid fears of an arms race in space.
The developments are being driven by rapid technological advancements but lack a comprehensive legal framework.
Last year, the head of U.K. Space Command, Maj. Gen. Paul Tedman, warned he was "really worried" by Russia's attempts to jam British military satellites on a regular basis.
He noted at the time that the U.K. was operating six dedicated military satellites for communications and surveillance, which were equipped with counter-jamming technology.
