The RAF Chief of the Air Staff has warned that Russian aggression in space threatens to disable the UK's GPS and SAT-NAV systems, potentially costing billions of pounds in economic damage. Sir Harv Smyth accused Russia of "provocative actions" that represent an "unprecedented threat" to critical satellite infrastructure underpinning the UK's security and daily life. Space has become a warfighting domain, and the UK must urgently strengthen its capabilities to defend its satellites and maintain operational freedom in orbit.

Satellite services at risk are worth £1.4 billion daily to the UK economy, and disruptions would cripple emergency services, cause severe road congestion, and damage critical infrastructure. Specific incidents include Russian satellites manoeuvring dangerously close to Finnish commercial satellites in May, and a Russian satellite constellation causing GPS disruptions across Europe, Greenland and Canada in June. In response, the UK is establishing the Number 3 Space Effects Squadron and planning additional squadrons, with an £880 million investment through 2029-30 focused on electronic warfare capabilities and space-based intelligence; the government aims to position military assets in space by 2035 whilst remaining committed to peaceful space use.