UK military satellites ‘targeted by Russian interference weekly’

Russian satellites have been targeting UK military satellites on a weekly basis, according to the UK’s head of Space Command. 

Speaking in an interview with the BBC, Maj Gen Paul Tedman outlined the level of interference that military satellites are facing from ground-based jamming and information collecting systems in Russia.  

“We're seeing our satellites being jammed by the Russians on a reasonably persistent basis,” said Tedman. 

The UK currently has six military satellites in space, orbiting the globe to provide communications and surveillance services to forces on the ground. This is nothing when compared to Russia or China, who both have over a hundred satellites and spend billions each year developing their capabilities. This investment has seen a growth of 70 per cent in the last decade for both fleets.  

In Scotland, the space industry is predicted to be worth over £4bn by 2030 and employ over 20,000 people. Figures show that one fifth of all UK space sector jobs are in Scotland and that Glasgow produces more small satellites than anywhere else in Europe. 

“I'm responsible for many different sectors of the Scottish economy with my ministry,” said business minister Richard Lochead in 2024. “But when I look at space, I see perhaps the fastest-growing sector in Scotland. I see something really exciting. I see something with potential.” 

The UK’s satellites do have anti-jamming capabilities explained Tedman, but these actions are regular, deliberate and have increased since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.  

“They're interested in what we're doing and flying relatively close,” Tedman said. “They've got payloads on board that can see our satellites and are trying to collect information from them.” 

In The UK, about one per cent of the government’s defence budget is spent on space. This is a marked difference from other countries, such as France, which spends three per cent and the US which spends five per cent, or $49bn, of its defence budget on space. This is set to rise in 2026, as major investment in the Golden Dome defence system is expected. 

Both Russia and China have developed sophisticated space lasers that could be used to overwhelm UK satellites, disrupting their ability to relay information back down to Earth.  

Earlier this week, the government announced plans to test sensors that could detect this type of interference in the future, but for now the military’s satellites are being targeted in increasingly common incidents. 

“I would say the Chinese have by far the more sophisticated capability,” Tedman said.  “But the Russians have more will to use their counter-space systems.” 

Around £450bn of the UK economy is dependent on space said Tedman, utilising satellite technology to communicate globally and drive growth in the country.  

It is also a crucial part of the UK’s armed forces network, providing information on everything from inter-ballistic missile launches to GPS maps of potential battlefields. 

“We've committed to invest a billion pounds into integrated air and missile defence,” said Tedman. “I'd be surprised if there's not a space aspect to how we're going to defend the UK from threats very similar to Golden Dome.”