The Royal Air Force has been using a ground-based electronic warfare system for about a year to jam or block satellites from other countries, with the capability already used to deter adversaries, according to BBC reporting tied to the UK Space Power Conference in London. The disclosure came as the Ministry of Defence unveiled No. III Space Effects Squadron, a new RAF unit tasked with disrupting, degrading and denying hostile threats in space.
The system is described as defensive and designed to stop hostile satellites from tracking sensitive British military activity, including nuclear-armed submarines and special forces operations. It is not a kinetic anti-satellite weapon, and the exact targets, platform and technical specifications remain undisclosed. The RAF’s new squadron brings together personnel from across the armed forces and adds an active counter-space role alongside the service’s existing watch-and-warn space units.
The move underscores the UK’s growing focus on protecting military satellites and wider space infrastructure at a time of heightened concern over jamming and other interference in orbit. Officials have linked the new squadron to broader efforts to defend systems used for missile warning, communications and navigation.