United Kingdom Space Command

Last updated

United Kingdom Space Command
Badge UK Space Command.png
UK Space Command badge
Founded1 April 2021 (3 years, 3 months)
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
BranchNaval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy
Flag of the British Army.svg  British Army
Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg  Royal Air Force
RoleSpace Operations
Part of Royal Air Force
Headquarters RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Commanders
Commander Major General Paul Tedman
Patch ACSSU-20220607-0100-Space Command Patch-001.jpg
Patch

United Kingdom Space Command (UKSC) is a joint command of the British Armed Forces organised under the Royal Air Force, [1] [2] and staffed by personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force and the Civil Service. [3] The UKSC has three functions: space operations, space workforce generation, and space capability. [4]

Contents

UK Space Command was established on 1 April 2021, and from May 2024 is under the command of Major General Paul Tedman. The new command has "responsibility for not just operations, but also generating, training and growing the force, and also owning the money and putting all the programmatic rigour into delivering new ... capabilities." [1] UKSC headquarters is at RAF High Wycombe co-located with Air Command. [5]

When fully operationally capable, UK Space Command will "provide command and control of all of Defence’s space capabilities, including [the] UK Space Operations Centre, Skynet (satellite) communications, RAF Fylingdales, and other enabling capabilities." [3] The command was initially planned to grow to about 650 personnel. [6]

Defence Command Paper and Space Strategy

In a March 2021 Defence Command Paper it was announced that part of the additional £1.4 billion allocated to support UK Space Command over the next decade would be used to develop a new Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) satellite capability, [7] [8] following on from the Carbonite-2 technology demonstrator launched in 2018. [9]

History

On 22 April 2021 it was announced that Air Commodore Mark Flewin was to become Head Operations, Plans & Training, United Kingdom Space Command, Royal Air Force High Wycombe in May 2021. [10]

As of 2021 Commodore David C. Moody (Engineering Branch, RN) was posted in as Head of Space Capability for UK Space Command. [11]

In February 2022, the first part of the Defence Space Strategy was published, which included the already announced extra investment of £1.4 billion over 10 years mostly for the development of the multi-satellite surveillance and intelligence ISTARI system. [12] The strategy announced that the UK would adopt an "international by design" approach, and is the first state to publicly join the U.S. led Operation Olympic Defender, enabling international sharing of space resources and the synchronisation of space efforts. The UK will strengthen relations with the Five Eyes intelligence partnership. [13]

Operational concept demonstrator satellites for the ISTARI system, with electro-optical sensors and onboard processing, are planned for launch in 2024, under project MINERVA. [14]

Structure

UK Space Operations Centre badge UK Space Operations Centre badge.jpg
UK Space Operations Centre badge

The structure of UK Space Command comprises:

List of commanders

No.CommanderTermRef.
PortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTerm length
1
Air Commodore Paul Godfrey.jpg
Air Vice-Marshal
Paul Godfrey 		1 April 202112 May 20243 years, 266 days [19]
2
Major General Paul Tedman portrait (cropped 2).jpg
Major General
Paul Tedman 		12 May 2024Incumbent70 days [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Air Force</span> Air and space warfare force of the United Kingdom

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the second independent air force in the world after the Finnish Air Force, by merging the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Following the Allied victory over the Central Powers in 1918, the RAF emerged as the largest air force in the world at the time. Since its formation, the RAF has played a significant role in British military history. In particular, during the Second World War, the RAF established air superiority over Hermann Göring's Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain, and led the Allied strategic bombing effort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skynet (satellite)</span> Communications satellite

Skynet is a family of military communications satellites, now operated by Babcock International on behalf of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence (MoD). They provide strategic and tactical communication services to the branches of the British Armed Forces, the British intelligence agencies, some UK government departments and agencies, and to allied governments. Since 2015 when Skynet coverage was extended eastward, and in conjunction with an Anik G1 satellite module over America, Skynet offers near global coverage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Fylingdales</span> Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England

Royal Air Force Fylingdales or more simply RAF Fylingdales is a Royal Air Force station on Snod Hill in the North York Moors, England. Its motto is Vigilamus. It is a radar base and is also part of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS). As part of intelligence-sharing arrangements between the United States and United Kingdom, data collected at RAF Fylingdales are shared between the two countries. Its primary purpose is to give the British and US governments warning of an impending ballistic missile attack. A secondary role is the detection and tracking of orbiting objects; Fylingdales is part of the United States Space Surveillance Network. As well as its early-warning and space-tracking roles, Fylingdales has a third function – the Satellite Warning Service for the UK. It keeps track of spy satellites used by other countries, so that secret activities in the UK can be carried out when they are not overhead. The armed services, defence manufacturers and research organisations, including universities, take advantage of this facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF High Wycombe</span> Royal Air Force headquarters and administrative station in Buckinghamshire, England

Royal Air Force High Wycombe or more simply RAF High Wycombe is a Royal Air Force station, situated in the village of Walters Ash, near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. It houses Headquarters Air Command, and was originally designed to house RAF Bomber Command in the late 1930s. The station is also the headquarters of the European Air Group and the United Kingdom Space Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Oakhanger</span>

RAF Oakhanger was a Royal Air Force station in Hampshire split over three operational sites; with accommodation in nearby Bordon. The main site and operations centre is located near the village of Oakhanger, the two other sites being nearby. The parent station for administrative purposes was RAF Odiham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Air Force Police</span> About the Royal Air Force police service

The Royal Air Force Police (RAFP) is the service police branch of the Royal Air Force, headed by the provost marshal of the Royal Air Force. Its headquarters are at RAF Honington and it deploys throughout the world to support RAF and UK defence missions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 1 Group RAF</span> Royal Air Force operations group

No. 1 Group of the Royal Air Force is one of the two operations groups in RAF Air Command. Today, the group is referred to as the Air Combat Group, as it controls the RAF's combat fast-jet aircraft and has airfields in the UK, as well as RAF Support Unit Goose Bay at CFB Goose Bay in Canada. The group headquarters is located alongside Headquarters Air Command at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The other operational group is No. 2 Group RAF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strategic Command (United Kingdom)</span> Military unit

The United Kingdom's Strategic Command (StratCom), previously known as Joint Forces Command (JFC), manages allocated joint capabilities from the three armed services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colerne Airfield</span> British Army facility in Wiltshire, England

Colerne Airfield, now known as Azimghur Barracks, is a British Army facility just north-west of the village of Colerne, Wiltshire, England. It is set to close in 2029.

The planning for the future of the Royal Air Force involves supporting ongoing British military operations, the introduction of new aircraft types including unmanned aerial vehicles, greater focus on network enabled capability and increasing interoperability with members of NATO, team tempest, and mixed crewed fighters. From the updated plans of the RAF (2021) state that the new initiative will focus on becoming carbon net-zero, with strategies such as using sustainable aviation fuels in aircraft. The RAF also are looking into investing in the maintenance of the aircraft to ensure success of future operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air and Space Warfare Centre</span> Air Space Warfare Centre at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, England

The Air and Space Warfare Centre (ASWC) is a Royal Air Force research and testing organisation based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire. It has a training branch nearby as a lodger unit of RAF Cranwell and other branches elsewhere, including at RAF High Wycombe, RAF Brize Norton, MoD Boscombe Down, and RAF Odiham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Peach</span> Royal Air Force officer (born 1956)

Air Chief Marshal Stuart William Peach, Baron Peach, is a British retired senior Royal Air Force officer. After training as a navigator, Peach commanded IX (Bomber) Squadron and then became Deputy Station Commander RAF Bruggen. He was deployed as NATO Air Commander (Forward) in Kosovo in 2000. He went on to be Chief of Defence Intelligence in 2006, Chief of Joint Operations in 2009 and the first Commander of Joint Forces Command in December 2011 before being appointed Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in May 2013. Peach succeeded General Sir Nick Houghton as Chief of the Defence Staff on 14 July 2016. He succeeded General Petr Pavel as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee on 29 June 2018, serving as such until his retirement from NATO in June 2021.

The Defence Intelligence Fusion Centre (DIFC) is based at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire. Largely created from the staff of the National Imagery Exploitation Centre and then known for several years as the Defence Geospatial Intelligence Fusion Centre, it can trace its history back to clandestine reconnaissance operations at the beginning of the Second World War by Sydney Cotton on behalf of MI6 and then MI4, and the formation of the Allied Central Interpretation Unit at RAF Medmenham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Knighton</span> Royal Air Force officer and professional head, and aerospace engineer

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard John Knighton, is a senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer and professional engineer, currently serving as Chief of the Air Staff, the professional head of the RAF, since 2 June 2023. He previously served as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff from January 2015 to January 2017, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff at the Ministry of Defence, and as Deputy Commander Capability at RAF Air Command. Knighton is notable for being the first Chief of the Air Staff who is not a military pilot or indeed aircrew-qualified.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Smyth</span> Northern Irish Royal Air Force officer

Air Marshal Harvey Smyth, is a senior Northern Irish Royal Air Force officer, who has been the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff since March 2024. Previously, he served as Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group (2018–2020) and Air and Space Commander (2022–2024). Between February 2020 and August 2022, he took up the new post of Director Space, in the Ministry of Defence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Structure of the Royal Air Force</span>

This is the structure of the Royal Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Godfrey (RAF officer)</span> Royal Air Force officer

Air Marshal Paul Alexander Godfrey, is a senior Royal Air Force officer, who served as the first commander of the United Kingdom Space Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murugesvaran Subramaniam</span> 11th Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force

Warrant Officer Murugesvaran Subramaniam, is a senior Royal Air Force non-commissioned officer, who currently serves as the Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force.

References

  1. 1 2 "Q&A: Air Vice-Marshal Harv Smyth talks UK Space Command". Airforce Technology. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  2. ↑ Pawlyk, Oriana (May 6, 2021). "A British Space Force? 'Never Say Never,' Says UK General". Military.com.
  3. 1 2 "UK Space Command". Ministry of Defence. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  4. ↑ "Air Commodore Paul Godfrey announced as Commander United Kingdom Space Command". Royal Air Force. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  5. ↑ "UK Space Command at RAF High Wycombe - Air Commodore Paul Godfrey to lead". Bucks Free Press. 2 February 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  6. ↑ "UK Space Command: Staff". TheyWorkForYou.
  7. ↑ Defence in a competitive age (PDF) (Report). Ministry of Defence. March 2021. pp. 44–45. CP 411. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  8. ↑ Darling, Daniel (26 March 2021). "The U.K. Defense Command Paper in Review". Defense & Security Monitor. Forecast International. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  9. ↑ Allison, George (1 March 2018). "Royal Air Force surveillance satellite launched into space". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "Senior Appointments". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  11. ↑ "No. 63464". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 September 2021. p. 15744.
  12. ↑ "UK cutting-edge space defence backed by £1.4 billion" (Press release). Ministry of Defence. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022– via gov.uk.
  13. ↑ Defence Space Strategy: Operationalising the Space Domain (PDF). Ministry of Defence. February 2022. ISBN   978-1-5286-2899-0 . Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  14. ↑ Savage, Olivia (11 May 2022). "Defence Space 2022: UK Space Command details future plans". Jane's. IHS. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  15. ↑ "UK Space Command". GOV.UK. 2024-02-01. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  16. ↑ "About us". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  17. 1 2 "Two UK Space Command units to be rewarded with squadron status". www.forces.net. 2023-12-13. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  18. ↑ "UK Space Academy to join forces with Defence Academy". www.forces.net. 2023-11-23. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  19. ↑ "Air Commodore Paul Godfrey announced as Commander United Kingdom Space Command". Ministry of Defence. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "No. 64395". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 May 2024. p. 9339.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.