United Kingdom Established a Unit to Protect Satellites

The Royal Air Force has established the No. III Space Effects Squadron, which is the country’s first unit dedicated to countering threats to British satellites.

Air Chief Marshal Harv Smith, Chief of the Air Staff, announced the unit’s creation at the UK Space Capabilities Conference, according to the country’s Ministry of Defense.

The new squadron will bring together specialists from various branches of the Armed Forces to counter hostile activities in orbit and protect satellite infrastructure.

Unlike the 1st and 2nd Squadrons, which handle surveillance and early warning, the 3rd Squadron will use electronic warfare capabilities to neutralize threats.

The newly formed unit will support both offensive and defensive space operations and will expand as new technologies become available.

In 2025, General Paul Tedman, head of Space Command, reported that Russia attempts to interfere with British military satellites on a weekly basis—both through ground-based jamming and by maneuvering its own spacecraft close to the United Kingdom’s orbital systems.

He emphasized that Russia and China have tested anti-satellite weapons and are also exploring the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons in space.