U.K. to launch new military space squadron to protect satellites

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.

The new Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron will protect critical satellites used in communications and to warn of incoming missile attacks, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

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".

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".