Britain announced on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) that it will launch a new military space squadron charged with defending the country’s satellites, in the latest move as various countries rush for military space capabilities.
It described the unit — to be known as No III Space Effects Squadron — as the country’s first dedicated to “disrupting, degrading, and denying enemy activity targeting British interests in space”.
Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth will formally unveil the squadron on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) at a two-day U.K.
The MoD noted the U.K. launched two squadrons in 2023 that “watch and warn” of space threats while the new unit will “act against those threats, using advanced technology, including electronic warfare”. Space Power Conference starting in London, where Defence Secretary Wes Streeting will also warn Britain must “keep pace in the new space race”. That prompted China to warn against turning outer space into a “battlefield” and Russia to caution it must be “free from any weapon”, amid fears of an arms race in space. Space Command Major General Paul Tedman warned he was “really worried” by Russia attempting to jam British military satellites on a regular basis.
Last year, the head of U.K.
