The Royal Air Force has created No. III Space Effects Squadron, its first dedicated unit focused on countering hostile activity directed against British interests in space. Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smyth announced the new squadron at the UK Space Power Conference. It will complement No. I Space Operations Squadron and No. II Space Warning Squadron, which provide space monitoring, tracking, and warning functions. The new unit will bring together specialist personnel from across the UK Armed Forces and employ capabilities such as electronic warfare to disrupt, degrade, or deny hostile space activities. Its mission includes helping protect satellites that support military operations and civilian services, including navigation, communications, weather forecasting, and missile warning. The squadron forms part of the UK’s wider effort to maintain freedom of action in space while limiting adversaries’ ability to operate there. The RAF is also planning additional space-focused squadrons and a dedicated Space Tactics and Training Squadron. Smyth highlighted concerns over the activities of Russian spacecraft near British assets and cited incidents involving Russian satellites and GPS disruption. The UK is investing an additional £50 million to extend the service life of SKYNET 5 while developing the SKYNET 6 military communications system. Britain is also developing an Earth-observation constellation involving Tyche, Titania, Juno, and Oberon, while cooperating with the US and Australia on the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability program.
