Russia is attempting to jam British military satellites on a regular basis, the head of UK Space Command has said, amid growing tensions between Moscow and some European countries.
“We’re seeing our satellites being jammed by the Russians on a reasonably persistent basis,” Major General Paul Tedman told the BBC.
“They’ve got payloads on board that can see our satellites and are trying to collect information from them,” he said, adding he was “really worried” by the development.
The UK operates six dedicated military satellites for communications and surveillance, which Tedman said were equipped with counter-jamming technology.
Russian forces were attempting to jam UK satellites “weekly” with activity increasing since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he said.
Neil Buchanan, CEO of Lodestar Space, said he was pleased to see the issue brought out into the open.
Lodestar Space is developing technology to autonomously detect and track satellites that shadow or interfere with others from orbit.
The firm is also building the first autonomous AI fighter-pilot for space.
“For years these issues were only talked about behind closed doors. Seeing them acknowledged publicly is a positive step and allows us to prepare more honestly and react more effectively,” he said in a statement.
Buchanan said space was no longer “an abstract domain” but the “backbone for operations across air, sea, and land — and increasingly the arena for military activity in its own right”.
“Recognising that openly means we can move faster to protect the systems our lives depend on,” he added.
The space-based interference threat is not limited to the UK.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius revealed last month that Russia had been tracking two Intelsat satellites used by the German military.
“They can jam, blind, manipulate, or kinetically disrupt satellites,” he said.
Germany has pledged to spend 35 billion euros ($41 billion) on outer space defence by 2030, citing the threat posed by Russia and its ally China.
