For hundreds of years UK Armed Forces have defended the nation’s interests across the land and maritime domains and, for over a century now, also done so within the air domain.

However, more recent times have seen Space emerge as just as crucial a domain as land, air and sea, and DE&S, together with its partners, is at the vanguard of ensuring UK Armed Forces have the means to exploit this, integrating their capabilities so they work together seamlessly across all domains.

Space has brought unprecedented advantages and new threats. Daily life is reliant on Space and, for the Armed Forces, it underpins vital, battle-winning technologies. From space we can deliver global command & control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), precision navigation, and more. Adversaries understand this reliance and are increasingly able to exploit vulnerabilities, threatening our strategic stability and security.

The DE&S Space Delivery Team is working in tandem with UK Space Command, Strategic Command and other MOD stakeholders to deliver a number of technologically leading edge initiatives, from developing our own UK Sovereign SatNav receivers, to researching alternatives to GPS should that technology be ever disrupted, to planning for the launch of our own satellites to deliver ISR support to UK forces and our allies wherever they are in the world.

Paul Russell, head of the Space Delivery Team at DE&S, said:

“With the importance of space growing by the day, its criticality to Defence is simple: it affords operational advantage against potential adversaries and, as a nation, we depend on it for resilience and way of life.”

He added: “Here at DE&S we are committed to playing our crucial part ensuring the UK maintains freedom of action while protecting and defending the nation’s interests at home and overseas.”