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Russia ‘targets UK military satellites’ as space tensions rise

Related: Macron warns of ‘permanent confrontation’ with Russia
  • Russian forces are regularly attempting to jam UK military satellites, with such efforts occurring "weekly", according to Major General Paul Tedman, head of UK Space Command.
  • Maj Gen Tedman said that Russia also closely monitors the UK's space assets, though the UK's approximately six dedicated military satellites are equipped with counter-jamming technology.
  • In response to growing international tensions, the UK and the US conducted their first co-ordinated satellite manoeuvre in September, involving a US satellite inspecting a UK satellite to ensure its functionality.
  • This joint operation was part of Operation Olympic Defender, a framework aimed at improving allied satellite defence and resilience, which Maj Gen Tedman hailed as a major step forward in cooperation.
  • The escalation in space coincides with rising tensions with Russia, following a US President's call for Nato allies to shoot down intruding Russian aircraft and Moscow's recent "provocative" violations of Nato airspace.
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