UK also establishes 'Space Command'

[Researcher Hyunjun Kang, Command and Reconnaissance Research Team 1, Defense Technology Quality Institute] The United Kingdom is set to establish a new Space Command, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2021. According to the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Space Command will lead the UK's space operations, including training and development to cultivate space personnel and space capability projects that transport space equipment. The Ministry of Defence stated that the new Space Command will be located at a currently undisclosed Royal Air Force base, with High Wycombe Air Force Base?home to the National Air and Space Operations Centre (NASOC)?being the most likely candidate.

The announcement regarding the establishment of the new Space Command came just one day after the Chief of the Air Staff warned about threats posed by adversaries in the space domain and emphasized the need for the UK to deploy more assets to defend critical space-based interests. Speaking at the virtual Defense Space Conference 2020 (DSC20), hosted by the Aerospace Power Association in London in November, the Chief of the Air Staff stated that since future conflicts may include the space domain, necessary measures must be taken now to protect nationally significant space-based assets, capabilities, and services.

The space sector currently contributes an annual value of ?14 billion ($18.6 billion) to the UK economy. The increasing strategic importance of the space domain to the UK's economic welfare is driving the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to expand its operational scope into space.

According to the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), the space domain is increasingly prioritized in terms of UK defense thinking and funding. The 2015 SDSR primarily focused on the space surveillance sector, especially areas related to Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD), which led to the doubling in size of the National Air and Space Operations Centre (NASOC) located at High Wycombe Air Force Base. NASOC works closely with other government agencies to enhance the UK's overall space security capabilities.

By establishing the new Space Command, the UK is following a trend that reflects the growing importance of the space domain in current and future operations. The United States has also established a separate Space Force (with resource input far exceeding that of the UK or other countries), while France recently renamed its air force to the Air and Space Force.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.