The RAF has launched its first dedicated space squadron, giving Britain a specialist military unit focused on protecting satellites from hostile activity.
No. III Space Effects Squadron will bring together personnel from across the Armed Forces to counter threats in orbit. Its work will include using advanced technology and electronic warfare to disrupt, degrade and deny hostile actions aimed at UK interests in space.
That matters well beyond the military. Satellites help power mobile phone data, weather forecasts and online ordering, while emergency services rely on satellite navigation to help ambulances, firefighters and police reach people quickly. Energy networks also use satellite systems to organise power grids.
A new role in defending space
The new squadron was announced by Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smyth at the first UK Space Power Conference. It will support both offensive and defensive space operations, with plans for its capabilities to grow as new technology enters service.
It joins two existing RAF units. No. I Space Operations Squadron monitors activity in space, while No. II Space Warning Squadron provides warning of potential threats. No. III will add the ability to act against those threats.
The formation of the squadron is part of the UK’s developing approach to space warfare, including electronic warfare and countermeasures against anti-satellite weapons. The aim is to maintain Britain’s freedom to operate in space while limiting the ability of adversaries to do the same.
Protecting satellites without creating more debris
The government has said it remains committed to the peaceful and sustainable use of space. The UK has formally ruled out destructive anti-satellite missile testing and continues to work through the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space on responsible behaviour in orbit.
Britain is also working with allies and partners on collective space defence. The government has committed £880 million between 2026/27 and 2029/30 to space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, alongside space control activities.
The squadron’s launch follows the publication of the UK Space Strategy and the Strategic Defence Review, which identified the ability to operate in, from and through space as important to national security, prosperity and daily life.
Why this is good news for Britain
The new RAF unit is intended to help keep satellite-supported services reliable, from emergency navigation and mobile communications to weather forecasting and energy management. It also strengthens the UK’s specialist defence capabilities while supporting a commitment to responsible and sustainable activity in space.
