Britain’s Royal Air Force has established No. III Space Effects Squadron, a dedicated formation intended to counter hostile activities affecting UK interests in space. Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smyth announced the unit at the UK Space Power Conference. The squadron will work alongside No. I Space Operations Squadron and No. II Space Warning Squadron, which are responsible for space operations, monitoring, tracking, and warning functions. Personnel from across the UK Armed Forces will form the new unit, bringing together specialist expertise and capabilities such as electronic warfare. Its role will include disrupting, degrading, or denying hostile activities in the space environment. The squadron will also contribute to protecting satellites that provide critical military and civilian services, including navigation, missile warning, weather information, and communications. The RAF is developing additional space organizations, including Numbers 4, 5, and 6 Squadrons and a Space Tactics and Training Squadron. Smyth referred to recent Russian spacecraft activity near British assets and cited reported satellite movements and GPS interference. Britain has allocated an additional £50 million to extend the service life of SKYNET 5 satellites while developing the next-generation SKYNET 6 military communications network. The country is also establishing a multi-satellite Earth-observation capability involving Tyche, Titania, Juno, and Oberon and is cooperating with the US and Australia on DARC.
