The No III Space Effects Squadron will be announced on Wednesday, with the defence secretary, Wes Streeting, warning that Britain needs to “keep pace in the new space race”.
...
“Control of the waves was the essential ingredient in 19th-century deterrence,” he will tell the Space Power conference.

“That is why Britain built the finest naval power in history. In the 20th century it was control of the skies, and so we built a world class air force to protect us. This century will depend on control of space.”
...
The new Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron will protect satellites used to warn of incoming missile attacks, provide communications and help guide ships, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

It will bring together specialist personnel from across the armed forces to counter hostile activity in orbit and defend satellites the nation depends on every day.

Two existing units – No I Space Operations Squadron and No II Space Warning Squadron – already allow the RAF to watch and warn of threats in space.

The MoD said the new squadron would act against those threats, using advanced technology, including electronic warfare, “to disrupt, degrade and deny hostile actions”.

It is intended to support offensive and defensive space operations and will expand over time as new capabilities enter service.