RAF jamming adversary satellites, BBC reports

The Royal Air Force has been jamming satellites operated by adversary nations, according to reporting by the BBC on Sept. 23, 2026. The disclosure came on the first day of the UK's Space Power Conference.

The BBC reported that the RAF used a ground-based system to disrupt satellites that adversary states use to gather intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance against British defence infrastructure. According to that account, those satellites track the movement of critical defence assets, including the UK's continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent.

The concern centres on submarines. Satellites watching the Royal Navy's Vanguard class ballistic missile submarines could allow a hostile actor to locate and disable a boat, which would affect the UK's second-strike capability in a crisis. The report notes the ongoing Russian rhetoric about its own nuclear stockpile since the invasion of Ukraine.

Neither the Ministry of Defence nor the RAF has confirmed the details. It is also unclear whether the ground-based jamming system will continue to be operated in the same way.

The disclosure coincided with the stand-up of the RAF's first dedicated space defence squadron, No. III Space Effects Squadron, whose stated task is disrupting, degrading and denying hostile threats in space. Whether that unit will take responsibility for further use of the jamming system against hostile ISR satellites has not been established. The squadron is also expected to play a role in defending UK space assets, which the country relies on for services including mobile phone data and weather forecasting.