RAF launches first ever space squadron dedicated to defending Britain's satellites

Satellites vital to everyday life in the UK are set to be protected from hostile threats, as the RAF launches the UK’s first ever dedicated space squadron focused on disrupting, degrading, and denying enemy activity targeting British interests in space.

Announced today by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smith at the first-ever UK Space Power Conference, No. III Space Effects Squadron will bring together specialist personnel from across the Armed Forces to counter hostile activity in orbit and defend the satellites the nation depends on every day.

While sister units No. I Space Operations Squadron and No. II Space Warning Squadron give the RAF the ability to watch and warn of threats in space, the new No. III Squadron will act against those threats, using advanced technology, including Electronic Warfare, to disrupt, degrade and deny hostile actions. The squadron will support both offensive and defensive space operations and will expand over time as new capabilities enter service.

It comes as the Defence Secretary Wes Streeting will give a keynote address at the Space Conference.

Britain has to keep pace in the new space race. Control of the waves was the essential ingredient in 19th century deterrence. That is why Britain built the finest naval power in history. 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.