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UK vows to defend itself against Russian and Chinese space threats

17th November 2020 - 17:45 GMT | by Tim Martin in London

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The UK has warned that the anti-satellite capabilities of China and Russia are threatening safe and peaceful behaviour in space.

Should a future conflict transition from conventional warfare to involve the space domain, the UK must be able to ‘protect and if necessary defend our critical national interests,’ the RAF Chief of Air Staff has said.

Pointing to China and Russia’s development of anti-satellite capabilities, including Moscow’s COSMOS 2542 and COSMOS 2543 on-orbit tests, Air Chf Mshl Sir Mike Wigston told a Defence Space 2020 virtual audience that ‘actions like this’ threaten peace and ‘risk creating debris’ which could harm the safe use of satellites.

His perspective echoed that of US Space Command, which has accused Russia of acting

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