Increased Russian Aggression: UK Military Satellites Under Constant Threat

Sat Oct 11 2025 08:14:54 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

UK satellites face weekly threats from Russian interference, including satellite stalking and jamming efforts, warns UK Space Command chief.

UK military satellites are experiencing intensified surveillance and jamming attempts from Russian forces, with General Paul Tedman of UK Space Command revealing that these hostile activities have increased since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He expressed concerns over the emerging threats in space and highlighted the importance of greater investment in UK space resilience amidst a growing array of adversarial capabilities from Russia and China.

According to Major General Paul Tedman, head of the UK Space Command, Russian satellites have been closely monitoring British military satellites on a weekly basis.

In a recent interview, Tedman detailed the frequency of interference from Moscow, revealing that Russia has been attempting to jam UK military satellites with ground-based systems regularly.

Germany's Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, corroborated similar suspicions regarding Russia's actions towards German military satellites just last month.

They're interested in what we're doing and flying relatively close, said Tedman, clarifying that Russian satellites possess equipment capable of collecting intelligence on British assets.

Despite counter-jamming technologies fitted on UK military satellites, they continue to face persistent jamming from Russian forces, with Tedman noting that this aggression has escalated since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The UK manages around half a dozen dedicated military satellites compared to the hundreds operated by the US, China, and Russia. Tedman emphasized the rising threat posed by both Russian and Chinese anti-satellite weapons, cautioning against the increasing congestion in space due to the proliferation of satellites.

As the UK government pledges to enhance investments in space and missile defense, Tedman warns that the nation risks falling behind in the global space race, currently allocating only 1% of its defense budget to space endeavors.

While discussing the strategic importance of space, Tedman stressed that the UK economy relies heavily on satellite technology for navigation and secure military operations. The ongoing challenges in space require immediate attention and action to counter Russia's burgeoning space capabilities and to ensure national security.