Summary
Russian satellites have been closely monitoring and interfering with UK military satellites, as stated by Major General Paul Tedman of the UK Space Command. This includes weekly attempts to jam UK satellites, a situation that has worsened since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The UK has measures to counteract this interference but remains dependent on international partnerships, particularly with the US, for broad space monitoring and defense.
Key Facts
- Russian satellites follow and try to jam UK military satellites weekly.
- The UK has half a dozen military satellites, whereas the US, China, and Russia have over 100 each.
- Russia's interference with UK satellites has increased since its invasion of Ukraine.
- Russia and China have increased their satellite fleets by 70% over the past ten years.
- Russia and China have both tested weapons that can destroy satellites.
- The UK relies heavily on the US for space monitoring and missile detection.
- The RAF Fylingdales in North Yorkshire is part of the missile early warning system.
- There are currently about 45,000 objects in orbit, including around 9,000 satellites.
