Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard announced the creation of four new space military units, in recognition of the fact that modern wars will extend into orbit.

The British military is creating offensive space capabilities in order to stay competitive on the future battlefield.  

The United Kingdom announced the creation of six “offensive specialist” space squadrons as part of a broader strategy to ensure that it remains a leading global power.  

What Is an “Offensive Specialist Space Squadron”?  

During a keynote speech at the second day of the Global Air and Space Chiefs’ Conference in London on Thursday, British Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard revealed that the British military is creating new offensive space units. 

“It is now embedded into each one of our services, each one of our strategies, that we can’t do any operation in any domain without the support of all domains,” Pollard said.  

The minister added that for this goal to become a reality, the British military would need a new approach to how it delivers, deploys, and interconnects its different services with the aim of turning them into more effective on the battlefield.   

“That’s why we’ve established a new space systems group under the National Armaments Director to deliver additional capabilities in the space domain that helps enable activities across all domains, including in a UK first, offensive space capabilities that will be operated by six new specialist space squadrons,” Pollard said.  

The offensive space squadrons will be trained at the Defence Space Academy alongside NATO and international partners. 

Alongside the new units, the British military will establish a Space Systems Group, which will report to the National Armaments Director—providing the Ministry of Defence with a dedicated organization responsible for acquiring and integrating new equipment into military space operations. 

The UK has earmarked £298 billion ($387 billion) over the next four years, or nearly $97 billion per year, for its defense capabilities. Approximately £31 billion of these funds ($41.6 billion) will be spent on air and space capabilities.  

Why the UK Is Readying for a Space Arms Race  

The weaponization of space is not new. Ever since militaries understood the value of satellites, a quiet race for mastery in space began.  

Today, the United States and China are clearly the two most powerful space actors. But other countries, including Russia and France, are also active players. London’s creation of the six specialist space squadrons is an attempt to bring the United Kingdom into the picture and make it an important actor in the domain, but also to increase the capabilities of the other services of the British military.

To be sure, the British military is not new to space. It established the UK Space Command in 2021 to coordinate all space activities and operations. Up until now, UK space capabilities have included secure military communications satellites, space surveillance functions, and the necessary ground infrastructure supporting these assets.  

Advanced space capabilities enable long-range precision strikes, intelligence gathering, and secure communications. All three are essential elements of effective force projection and deterrence.  

The UK’s decision to assume a more active role in space operations is a statement that, despite decades of defense cuts, the British military still sees itself as a global actor.  

About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou  

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University, an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a JD from Boston College Law School. His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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