BRITAIN has unleashed a new world-leading space weapon to neuter enemy satellites.
The ground-based ray gun has been fired in anger over the last year to “deter UK adversaries,” a top defence source revealed.
The system, which does not have a name and is used by the newly formed Space Force, could be used to prevent enemy satellites from tracking UK nuclear submarines, it is understood.
It is referred to at UK Space Command as “3 Squadron’s capability” and it works by jamming satellite signals.
The defence source insisted: “It is world leading, and some.”
They compared it to jammers on fighter jets that “deny the adversary the use their equipment”.
They added: “Let’s say a potential adversary were using their satellites to control a capability against us, we could use this capability to deny their ability to do that.”
Details emerged as the Chief of the Air Staff Sir Harv Smyth warned: “Space has become a warfighting domain and the UK must be prepared.”
Addressing the Air and Space Power Conference in London he accused Russia of “dangerous” manoeuvres in space.
He said: “In May of this year we tracked a series of unusual and significant manoeuvres by five Russian military satellites, moving to within rapid reach of two Finnish commercial satellites.
“These manoeuvres are uncommon and dangerous raising serious questions about Russia’s intent.”
He added: “In June it was confirmed that a Russian satellite constellation had caused disruptions to GPS signals across Europe, Greenland, and Canada, over at least 75 days since 2019.”
The UK’s new satellite jammer was invented by boffins at Porton Down, home of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory which develops Top Secret future weapons.
Most jammers work by emitting signals to drown out or spoof the enemy messages.
The source added: “It started out as a concept demonstrator.
“As Space Command was stood up we started to explore the possibility of developing it from a science project to a capability.
“We accelerated from a concept demonstrator into a full capability in the last year or so.”
They added: “We use it to deter our adversaries.”
It is deployed with newly formed 3 Space Effects Squadron, the first UK unit “dedicated to disrupting, degrading and denying hostile threats in space,” the MoD said.
The UK has never avowed to have weapons in orbit – unlike the US.
America confirmed for the first time this month that it had, “on-orbit space control weapons”.
The UK Space Force was founded in 2021.
The Sun revealed its commander Air Vice Marshal Jamie Thompson was suspended last month over claims of a “serious sexual assault” and theft just weeks after taking command.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Britain has to keep pace in the new space race…This century will depend on control of space.”
