The UK military has started jamming foreign satellites to protect its sensitive operations from hostile threats, the BBC reports.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) has reportedly used a ground-based electronic warfare system for about a year. A defence source said the system has already helped “to deter our adversaries.” It could also stop hostile satellites from tracking British nuclear submarines or special forces missions.
Meanwhile, the UK has launched a new RAF unit called the Space Effects Squadron. The unit will focus on “disrupting, degrading and denying hostile threats in space.” Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said Britain faces growing threats because the country relies heavily on satellites. He also warned that losing GPS could cost the UK economy £1.4bn every day.
The threat goes beyond Britain. The UK says Russia has tried to jam its satellites from the ground on a regular basis. In May, the RAF also tracked five Russian satellites during “dangerous manoeuvres” near two Finnish commercial satellites. Air Chief Marshal Sir Harvey Smyth later said Russian satellites had disrupted GPS signals across parts of Europe and Canada.
At the same time, the US, China and Russia continue to develop space warfare capabilities. Washington recently confirmed that it had deployed an unspecified weapon in space to protect its satellites. China and Russia criticised the move and warned about a possible arms race.
The UK has only a few military satellites, so it works closely with the US Space Force. Smyth said satellites remain essential for navigation, emergency services, weather monitoring and financial systems. He warned that attacks on space infrastructure could make societies “less efficient, less prosperous and less secure.”
