UK military jamming other nations' satellites to defend itself, BBC told
3 hours ago
- The British military has been using a ground-based system for the past year to jam or block satellites from other countries for self-defense against hostile threats.
- The system can prevent hostile nations from tracking UK nuclear submarines or sensitive military operations, including those involving special forces.
- The RAF has established a new Space Effects Squadron focused on disrupting, degrading, and denying hostile threats in space.
- Defence Secretary Wes Streeting highlighted that daily life depends on satellites for technologies like GPS, mobile phones, and banking, with GPS loss costing the UK economy £1.4bn a day.
- The threat from adversaries in space is growing in scale, speed, and sophistication, mirroring geopolitical tensions on Earth.
- Other nations, including Russia and China, are also developing space weapons such as jammers, lasers, and projectiles, raising concerns about an arms race in space.