UK RAF using lasers, jammers to temporarily blind enemy satellites as government says GPS loss could cost UK economy £10 billion a week
Britain has jammed hostile satellites from the ground for a year, aiming to stop adversaries from tracking its nuclear submarines and special forces.
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) is employing ground-based electronic warfare technology to temporarily blind hostile satellites, in an effort to protect British military operations and assets. This technology, which utilizes powerful electronic signals and lasers, has been in use for about a year and is described as world-leading by British defence officials.
The capability can be employed when hostile satellites attempt to monitor British military activities or track important assets, preventing adversaries from observing Britain's nuclear-armed submarines or sensitive special forces operations. As military forces increasingly rely on satellites for various operations, the RAF's ground-based electronic warfare system provides an additional means of responding to threats posed by hostile spacecraft.
The RAF has also established a dedicated Space Effects Squadron, responsible for defending British space assets against hostile activity and threats. The government estimates that losing GPS services could cost the British economy approximately £1.4 billion each day, or roughly £10 billion per week if disruption continued at that level.
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