Britain is creating its first military unit dedicated to defending and disrupting hostile activity in space, as ministers warn that the country’s growing dependence on satellites is becoming a strategic vulnerability.
The RAF’s new No. III Space Effects Squadron will be tasked with protecting critical satellite capabilities while developing the ability to interfere with hostile space operations using electronic warfare and other technologies.
The Ministry of Defence said the unit would form a key part of Britain’s ability to “gain and maintain freedom to operate in space”, reflecting a shift in military thinking as satellites become increasingly central to modern warfare.
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The squadron will be formally announced by Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth at the UK Space Power Conference, where Defence Secretary Wes Streeting is expected to warn that Britain must “keep pace in the new space race”.
The creation of the unit follows the government’s new Space Strategy and more than £274 million of investment in “space domain awareness”, aimed at tracking and understanding satellites, rockets and debris orbiting the Earth.
No. III Squadron will use “advanced technology, including Electronic Warfare, to disrupt, degrade and deny hostile actions”, according to the Ministry of Defence.
It will support both “offensive and defensive space operations” and is expected to expand as new capabilities enter service.
Air Chief Marshal Smyth said the military’s relationship with space had fundamentally changed.
“Space no longer supports operations from the sidelines. It’s a domain of direct competition, where our military advantage can be won or lost,” he said.
“No. III Space Effects Squadron will safeguard the vital benefits that space gives to our integrated armed forces, and will be capable of denying those benefits to our adversaries.”
The move reflects the growing strategic importance of satellite infrastructure, which underpins everything from military communications and navigation to weather forecasting, mobile networks and financial services.
Streeting compared the emerging competition in space with previous periods in which control of maritime and air domains shaped Britain’s military strategy.
“Control of the waves was the essential ingredient in 19th century deterrence. That is why Britain built the finest naval power in history,” he said.
“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: “Our dependency on space is precisely why it is increasingly under threat from our adversaries. That threat is growing in scale, speed, and sophistication. And challenges in space increasingly mirror the geopolitics on Earth.”
The risks extend beyond deliberate attacks.
Millions of fragments of debris orbit the Earth at extremely high speeds, creating the potential for collisions capable of destroying satellites on which both civilian and military systems depend.
The latest investment is intended to improve Britain’s ability to identify and track those threats before they become collisions.
Of the more than £274 million committed to space-domain awareness, £149 million will support the European Space Agency’s Vigil mission. The programme is intended to provide earlier warnings of solar storms that could disrupt satellites, communications networks and electricity grids.
A further £85 million will enhance the National Space Operations Centre, improving Britain’s ability to monitor activity in orbit, warn of potential collisions and provide early warning of missile launches.
Around £40 million will be directed towards technologies capable of inspecting, repairing and maintaining satellites in orbit.
Taken together, the measures signal a broader change in Britain’s approach to space.
Satellites are no longer viewed simply as passive infrastructure supporting operations on Earth. They are increasingly regarded as military assets that can be protected, disrupted and potentially targeted as part of conflict between states.
For Britain and its allies, that creates a new contest in which electronic warfare, surveillance and orbital resilience could become as important as traditional military power.
The establishment of No. III Space Effects Squadron is therefore more than an organisational change within the RAF. It represents an attempt to ensure that Britain can continue to operate when the increasingly contested battlefield extends beyond the atmosphere.
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