Latest news with #MariaEagle
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
The British military base preparing for war in space
In a fake village in Buckinghamshire, several members of Space Command are huddled around a computer screen watching a foreign missile approach a Ministry of Defence communications satellite. It is just an exercise, but it is a scenario that is increasingly worrying military chiefs, who fear space is now the most important theatre of war. With satellites controlling everything from EasyJet flight plans, to Amazon deliveries, to army advances, targeting them would cripple society. Russia took down Ukraine's satellite communications hours before it began its full-scale land invasion in 2022. China and Russia have both tested anti-satellite missiles, while Moscow is allegedly developing a programme to arm some of its satellites with nuclear warheads, meaning it could destroy enemy networks while in orbit. In recognition of this new orbital battlefield, Space Command was established at RAF High Wycombe in 2021, to 'protect and defend' UK interests in space. It is now home to the UK Space Operations Centre, opened officially by government ministers this week. The RAF base is the former headquarters of Bomber Command, a military unit responsible for strategic bombing during the Second World War. With its winding streets, faux church towers and manor house office blocks, it was designed to look like a quintessential Home Counties village, should the Luftwaffe be passing over. The Bomber Command motto 'Strike Hard, Strike Sure' has been replaced with Space Command's 'Ad Stellas Usque' – Latin for 'up to the stars'. While Bomber Harris's team had its eyes fixed firmly on the ground, Space Command's are turned skywards. Maria Eagle, minister for defence procurement, who helped open the operations centre this week, said: 'From a national security point of view, space is a contested and congested and competitive domain, and we need to make sure, as our adversaries advance their capabilities, that we're able to deal with what that throws up.' She added: 'It's an extension of the more earthbound worries that we've got. The usual kind of things that you worry about on Earth, it's just extended upwards, because that's now a domain that is as important as land, sea or air to the potential of war-fighting or defending national security. 'The National Space Operations Centre does vital work in monitoring and protecting our interests. It's a recognition of the fact that our adversaries are active there, and we need to know what's going on.' Although the United States performed the first anti-satellite tests in 1959, space warfare has largely been consigned to Hollywood and science fiction until recently. Fears began to ramp up in January 2007, when China shot down one of its own ageing weather satellites with a ballistic missile creating a cloud of space junk, which is still causing problems. In November 2021, Russia conducted its own direct-ascent anti-satellite test, destroying the Soviet intelligence satellite Kosmos-1408, and generating a debris field that forced astronauts on the International Space Station to take shelter. However it is not just anti-satellite missiles that are causing concern. According to the latest Space Threat Assessment, from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, nations are developing evermore elaborate space weapons. These weapons include electro-magnetic pulses, microwaves and lasers to fry electronics, dazzlers to blind optical sensors, and grapplers to latch on to satellites and pull them out of orbit. China, Russia, Iran and North Korea all have the capability of jamming and hijacking satellite signals and launching cyber attacks. A 10-second delay in Google Chrome loading may seem like a domestic internet glitch, but bad actors could also be behind it, Space Command has warned. Space Command is particularly worried about China, which in the past year has launched increasingly advanced and highly-manoeuvrable satellites for purposes that remain unclear. CSIS believes Beijing may be creating a 'formidable on-orbit counter-space arsenal' and that manoeuvrability testing is allowing Chinese operators to develop 'tactics and procedures that can be used for space war-fighting'. US Space force commanders have also warned that Chinese satellites have been spotted 'dogfighting' in space, moving within less than a mile of each other. 'China continues to develop and field a broad set of counter-space capabilities,' a member of Space Command told The Telegraph. 'It's certainly one of the more capable adversaries. Space is no longer a sanctuary, it's a space of contest. It's the modern battlefield.' Russia's Luch satellites have also been spotted stalking European communications and broadcast satellites, moving close to their orbits for reasons not fully understood. Space Command fears they are probing the systems to find out how best to disrupt signals. Although Russia continues to deny it is developing an orbital nuclear anti-satellite weapon – which would breach the 1967 Outer Space Treaty – US intelligence suggests otherwise. Chris Bryant, minister of state for data protection and telecoms, said: 'There's a lot of stuff up there now … and the risks from deliberate bad actors, in particular from Russia and China, and the havoc that could be created either deliberately or accidentally, is quite significant. 'So we need to monitor as closely as we possibly can, 24/7, everything that is going on up there so that we can avert accidental damage, and we can also potentially deter other more deliberate, harmful activity.' Space Command currently employs more than 600 staff, roughly 70 per cent of whom are from the Royal Air Force with the remaining 30 per cent from the Army and Navy, plus a handful of civilians. Not only is it monitoring the sky for threats from foreign powers but it is also keeping an eye out for falling space debris, asteroids, and coronal mass ejections from the Sun which could wipe out power grids and satellites. When a threat is spotted, the team can contact satellite providers to warn them to reposition their spacecraft, or advise them to power down until a powerful jet of plasma has passed through. It also informs the government and the security services on the orbital movements of foreign powers. Space Command also launched its first military satellite last year, named Tyche, which can capture daytime images and videos of the Earth's surface for surveillance, intelligence gathering and military operations. It is part of the Government's £968 million Istari programme which will see more satellites launched by 2031 to create a surveillance constellation. Mr Bryant added: 'Lots of people think 'space' and joke about Star Trek and the final frontier, but actually the truth is you couldn't spend a single day of your life these days in the UK without some kind of engagement with space. 'The havoc that could be created, which might be military havoc, or it might be entirely civil havoc, could be very significant.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Portsmouth naval base: Defence minister confirms investment funds
Portsmouth naval base will increase its number of operational jetties and ship berths thanks to new government investment, a city MP has Stephen Morgan said the details were confirmed in a letter from Defence Minister Maria investment, known as Project Bentham, also includes replacing and regenerating aging buildings and infrastructure with more modern Rachel Reeves pledged a £2.2bn increase in defence spending during the Spring Statement. Mr Morgan said: "It is great to get further confirmation from the Defence Minister of the Government's ambitious commitment to building on our city's proud history to deliver a modern, resilient and productive naval base." He added that money would also be provided to protect against forecast sea level rises, as well as improve ship Morgan wrote to Ms Eagle following the Chancellors announcement in her response she said the funding would secure "the long-term future of Portsmouth Naval Base, building on the city's proud maritime heritage to deliver a modern, resilient and productive home base that will enable and sustain the Royal Navy long into the future". You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The UK's 'missile of the future' for its F-35s has been delayed again
The UK's SPEAR 3 air-to-surface cruise missile is facing further delays. The UK MOD called the missile, designed for F-35B Lightnings, the "cruise missile of the future." But its expected timeline for in-service capability has been pushed to the early 2030s. The UK's new missile, which its defense ministry has called the "cruise missile of the future," has been further delayed. The SPEAR 3 air-to-surface cruise missile is intended for use by F-35B Lightnings in both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. Its manufacturer, European multinational MBDA, says it will be the "primary air launched, precision effects, surface attack weapon" of the RAF. But the missile's expected timeline for in-service capability has now been pushed back to the early 2030s, Maria Eagle, the UK's minister of state for defense procurement and industry, said. In response to an opposition lawmaker, Eagle said the weapon program was "undergoing re-baselining," which means its progress is being reconsidered. She said that a Review Note was expected toward the end of 2025, and "until that is approved, dates are considered draft and of low confidence." "The estimated current timeline for in-service capability is expected to be early 2030s," she added. This represents another in a series of delays for the project. The missiles were once expected to be integrated by 2025, which was then pushed back to the last quarter of 2028. The SPEAR 3 missile was successfully launched from an aircraft for the first time last year, the RAF said. It was launched by a Eurofighter Typhon jet in a test over Sweden. The RAF described the SPEAR missile as "a next generation turbojet-powered miniature cruise missile," to be used by both Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots. It said each F-35B will be able to carry up to eight SPEAR missiles at a time. The UK chose to develop its own cruise missile with MBDA after considering purchasing an available model from US defense company Raytheon. The RAF said the missiles can hit targets at a distance of 62 miles, and MBDA said they will be effective against naval vessels, main battle tanks, ballistic missile launchers, and fast-moving vehicles, among other targets. The missile also has a semi-active laser mode, which allows operators to designate a target using a laser, which the missile's seeker then follows. Gustav Gressel, a missile expert at the National Defence Academy of the Austrian Armed Forces, described the latest SPEAR delay as part of a pattern. "Aircraft armament in Europe, unfortunately, is a story of delays and cost overruns," he told Business Insider. The UK has purchased 48 F-35Bs, made by Lockheed Martin, for use by both its air force and navy, though not all have been delivered. It intends to buy a total of 138 jets, though some reports have suggested that number could be reassessed amid cost concerns. Some countries have said they are reconsidering their commitment to the F-35, as the US distances itself from longtime allies and amid speculation the US could make the jets ineffective by removing critical support. But a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson told Business Insider in March that the UK "maintains the freedom of action to operate the F-35 Lightning at a time and place of our choosing." The RAF described SPEAR last year as part of a portfolio that supports $8.7 billion of planned investment in the UK weapons industry by the MOD over the next decade. It said this included Brimstone, CAMM, Sea Viper, Sea Venom, and Storm Shadow. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
The UK's 'missile of the future' for its F-35s has been delayed again
The UK's new missile, which its defense ministry has called the "cruise missile of the future," has been further delayed. The SPEAR 3 air-to-surface cruise missile is intended for use by F-35B Lightnings in both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. Its manufacturer, European multinational MBDA, says it will be the "primary air launched, precision effects, surface attack weapon" of the RAF. But the missile's expected timeline for in-service capability has now been pushed back to the early 2030s, Maria Eagle, the UK's minister of state for defense procurement and industry, said. In response to an opposition lawmaker, Eagle said theweapon program was "undergoing re-baselining," which means its progress is being reconsidered. She said that a Review Note was expected toward the end of 2025, and "until that is approved, dates are considered draft and of low confidence." "The estimated current timeline for in-service capability is expected to be early 2030s," she added. This represents another in a series of delays for the project. The missiles were once expected to be integrated by 2025, which was then pushed back to the last quarter of 2028. The SPEAR 3 missile was successfully launched from an aircraft for the first time last year, the RAF said. It was launched by a Eurofighter Typhon jet in a test over Sweden. The RAF described the SPEAR missile as "a next generation turbojet-powered miniature cruise missile," to be used by both Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots. It said each F-35B will be able to carry up to eight SPEAR missiles at a time. The UK chose to develop its own cruise missile with MBDA after considering purchasing an available model from US defense company Raytheon. The RAF said the missiles can hit targets at a distance of 62 miles, and MBDA said they will be effective against naval vessels, main battle tanks, ballistic missile launchers, and fast-moving vehicles, among other targets. The missile also has a semi-active laser mode, which allows operators to designate a target using a laser, which the missile's seeker then follows. Gustav Gressel, a missile expert at the National Defence Academy of the Austrian Armed Forces, described the latest SPEAR delay as part of a pattern. "Aircraft armament in Europe, unfortunately, is a story of delays and cost overruns," he told Business Insider. The UK has purchased 48 F-35Bs, made by Lockheed Martin, for use by both its air force and navy, though not all have been delivered. It intends to buy a total of 138 jets, though some reports have suggested that number could be reassessed amid cost concerns. Some countries have said they are reconsidering their commitment to the F-35, as the US distances itself from longtime allies and amid speculation the US could make the jets ineffective by removing critical support. But a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson told Business Insider in March that the UK "maintains the freedom of action to operate the F-35 Lightning at a time and place of our choosing." The RAF described SPEAR last year as part of a portfolio that supports $8.7 billion of planned investment in the UK weapons industry by the MOD over the next decade. It said this included Brimstone, CAMM, Sea Viper, Sea Venom, and Storm Shadow.
Nikkei Asia
21-05-2025
- Business
- Nikkei Asia
Next-gen fighter program 'open' to more partners, not delays: UK minister
TOKYO -- The U.K., Japan and Italy are willing to bring more countries into their effort to develop a next-generation stealth fighter jet as long as they can contribute to achieving the goal, Britain's defense procurement chief said. The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) nations "have always said that they're open to the possibility of others joining, if it can help us deliver that next-generation fighter," Maria Eagle said in an interview here Wednesday.
