UK launches ‘Space Command’, but what will it do?
- Weaponisation of space becomes increasingly likely as US, China and Russia test new technologies
- UK has announced plans for a ‘Space Command’ as part of its largest military investment since Cold War
The UK is stepping up its space ambitions for both military and commercial purposes, with a raft of new initiatives including the establishment of a new “Space Command”.
“[Space Command] will work alongside MoD’s recently formed Space Directorate [as a] joint command structure,” the Ministry of Defence told the defence news outlet Janes.
“The space domain is a growing capability across the globe and something that is critical to invest in, to remain a leading 21st century power.”
The renewed interest in space and cyber defence is being pushed by the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace as part of a planned major defence policy review.
Wallace, a former army captain, announced last July he wanted to pivot away from a focus on conventional warfare to “operate much more in the newest domains of space, cyber and sub-sea”. He has also championed increasing the UK’s military independence from the US in these areas.
