The British military has been jamming or blocking satellites from other countries to defend against hostile threats, the BBC has been told. The RAF has used a ground-based system for the past year, with a defence source saying it had already been used "to deter our adversaries." It is understood the system could prevent hostile nations' satellites from tracking UK nuclear submarines or sensitive operations like special forces.

The disclosure coincides with the creation of the new RAF Space Effects Squadron, focused on "disrupting, degrading and denying hostile threats in space." The unit will protect British satellites used for missile warnings, communications, and navigation. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said daily life depends on satellites for weather forecasts, energy supplies, financial transactions, and more, warning that GPS loss would cost the UK economy £1.4bn a day.

Speaking at the UK Space Conference, Streeting said threats from adversaries are growing in "scale, speed and sophistication," with "challenges in space increasingly mirroring geopolitics on Earth." Last year, the UK's Space Command head said Russia tried jamming UK satellites "every week." The defence source called the UK's terrestrial electronic warfare capability "world leading, and more."

Last week, the US confirmed deploying an unspecified space weapon, drawing condemnation from China and Russia over an arms race. Washington has accused both of developing space weapons, from jammers to lasers. Air Chief Marshal Sir Harvey Smyth noted "more and more irresponsible and provocative actions," citing Russian satellites disrupting GPS across Europe and Canada. The UK works closely with the US Space Force, which operates many more military satellites.