UK military jamming other nations' satellites to defend itself, BBC told

The UK armed forces have been operating a ground-based electronic warfare system for the past year to jam or block other nations' satellites as a defensive measure, reportedly using it to deter adversaries and to protect sensitive operations such as the movements of nuclear-armed submarines and special forces. That capability will be formalized and expanded through a new RAF unit, the Space Effects Squadron, whose remit is to disrupt, degrade and deny hostile threats in space. Defence officials describe the terrestrial system as world-leading and say it has already been used operationally to protect national security.

The move comes amid warnings that modern life and the economy depend heavily on satellites - for navigation, banking, communications, weather and energy - and that the loss of GPS alone would cost the UK about £1.4bn a day. Military leaders say space threats are growing in scale, speed and sophistication and mirror terrestrial geopolitics, citing incidents such as close approaches by Russian satellites to commercial craft and GPS disruptions across Europe and Canada. The US has also disclosed deploying a defensive space capability, while Russia and China are accused of developing jammers, lasers and anti-satellite weapons, raising concerns of an escalating arms race in orbit. The UK operates a small military satellite fleet and closely coordinates with the US Space Force.