Defence Space Strategy: Operationalising the Space Domain

F.P. Report

LONDON: This strategy directly supports the integrated National Space Strategy which was published in September 2021. It sets out the government’s vision for Defence as a global actor in the space domain and articulates how MOD will deliver the Protect and Defend goal through space-related capabilities, operations and partnerships, delivering against the ambition to become a meaningful actor in space.

The National Space Strategy makes clear that we already rely heavily on space for critical services that impact daily on civil, commercial and military sectors. Space is a key enabler for Defence operations and is now an operational domain in its own right (alongside maritime, land, air and cyberspace). Space enables our ability to command and control globally, provide surveillance, intelligence and missile warning, as well as support deployed Joint Forces.

In a harsh and increasingly competitive domain, space capabilities and activities are continually subject to threats and hazards. Most are environmental: the natural hazards of space weather, radiation and meteoroid showers. Some are man-made hazards, such as space debris, collisions, and human error. Others are nefarious, as hostile actors and competitors seek to maximise their relative advantage in the domain. We must therefore work to both protect and defend the UK’s equities in space and the services derived from space assets.

We will invest an extra £1.4bn in Defence space technologies over the next 10 years. This is in addition to the £5bn we are investing in Skynet satellite communications over a similar timeframe. This represents a significant increase in government funding for the UK space sector.

We will focus our attention to deliver space capabilities to protect and defend our interests in support of global military operations. Our priorities are to:

Enhance our understanding of the threats and hazards in, from, or through space.

Deliver high-quality information and intelligence in real time from space to the military.

Deliver the first in a series of constellations of novel sensors to track targets on Earth.

Understand, design and field technologies to protect and defend UK interests in or from space.