According to the head of the British Space Command, Russian satellites monitored British military equipment.
In an interview with the BBC, Major General Paul Tedman publicly announced for the first time the threat posed by Moscow to Britain's space assets. He explained, that Russia is also trying to jam British military satellites using ground-based systems.
Last month, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced, that Russia also monitors satellites, which are used by the German military. General Tedman detailed, that similar actions are recorded in relation to Great Britain: Russian aircraft were approaching at a short distance, having equipment on board, capable of tracking British satellites and gathering information from them.
The head of the Space Command emphasized, that British military satellites are equipped with anti-jamming technology, however, he noted the regularity of Russian attempts — about once a week. In his opinion, these actions are intentional, and their intensity increased markedly after the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The UK currently has half a dozen dedicated military satellites, that provide communication and surveillance. USA, China and Russia have more than a hundred such devices. Over the last decade, the combined fleet of Russian and Chinese satellites has increased by 70%. General Tedman noted, that both states have already tested anti-satellite weapons. At the same time, Great Britain, and the US publicly warned about it, that Russia is developing capabilities to place nuclear weapons in space.
Although the United States considers China to be the main strategic threat, General Tedman opined, that Russia poses a more immediate danger: China has much more difficult opportunities, however, Russia is showing more willingness to use its counterspace systems. He also highlighted concerns as growing threats, and space congestion.
General Tedman was speaking during a visit to Failingdales Air Base in North Yorkshire, where the British-American Ballistic Missile Early Warning System is located. She works with 1963 year. Modern complex, consisting of a 30-meter pyramid with thousands of antennas, replaced the characteristic radar domes of the Cold War era. Its radar provides 360-degree coverage from the Arctic to North Africa and from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, and can track can-sized objects up to 4 800 km.
The Royal Air Force's Second Space Warning Squadron told the BBC, that the systems are connected to other US satellites and sensors, which allows detecting missile launches anywhere in the world. General Tedman stressed, that space is a "team sport", however, he recognized the great dependence of Great Britain on the USA, since it is the American contractors who keep the radar running at Failingdales.
Officers, responsible for duty, explain, that in the event of a direct threat to Great Britain, the alarm signal would have come within a minute. At the same time, the country's ability to intercept ballistic missiles remains limited due to the lack of anti-missile defense equipment.
The UK government announced plans to increase investment in space technology and missile defense, in particular by testing sensors to detect laser threats, after all, China and Russia have already created lasers, capable of blinding and disrupting satellites.
Tedman emphasized, that the government has committed to invest 1 billion pounds in integrated air and missile defence. He speculated, that the space component will necessarily be part of this defense. At the same time, Britain's current level of spending on space is only about 1% defense budget, while in France it reaches 3%, and in the USA - 5%.
General Tedman called for a higher priority for space, emphasizing, what is close 450 billions of pounds of the UK economy depend on space systems. According to him, space is the "nervous system" of modern armed forces, which provides navigation and high precision shots.
During work at the base, journalists were warned, that in the event of a real incident, you will have to leave the operating room. Shortly after that, a ballistic missile launch notification was received, and the film crew was escorted to the exit. According to the military, such launches are recorded almost every day. Although it is not specified, from which territories these launches are carried out, is known, that Russia regularly uses missiles against Ukraine.
IN 2024 year around the world was released more than 4 000 missiles. Soviet Russia was the cause, why the Flyingdales were first created during the Cold War era.
And the threat has not disappeared.
Source: https://www.bbc.com