United Kingdom Space Command

But it did cost It's caught people on the hop.

And the UK Space Force is, rather, sorry, the UK Space Command, after the Americans came out and spoke in the clip we've just heard, UK Space Command, which has been around since 2021, made a point of putting their head above the parapet Not long after the clip we've just heard, about six weeks ago, saying, yes, we do have things in space that can keep an eye on things and even do some harm.

But they said it very gently in a way that's less bombastic than perhaps American Space Force did previously.

Together with our global space coalitions, we will create a future for us and our children, where space is safe, secure, and sustainable, where our service personnel can operate to the best of their ability, and our way of life is protected.

Tom, I think we've crossed paths a couple of times.

But General Patrick, he was there when we started UK Space Command, day one.

I think it was 1st of April in 21, in his finery.

Now, I can tell everyone he beat everyone in terms of looks, of just how good he looked in his senior officer, Chief of the General Staff uniform.

I'd been a one star for a while and there were a couple of two star jobs coming up.

And, you know, I was I was hoping that I would be considered.

And then towards the end, I got a phone call of, you know, would you be interested in standing up UK Space Command? We knew this was coming, but we didn't know how serious it was.

And it was amazing.

But yeah, I'm afraid I don't know more on the internal details there.

But yeah, but it is interesting that this came from the top of the Department of the Air Force at a cyber conference rather than through Space Force personnel at a space conference which is what we've just had in the UK this past week with the UK Space Power Conference where Harv Smith an Air Marshal here who set up the MOD Space Directorate many years ago the precursor to UK Space Command has been active in military space for the UK for many years and he said at the Space Power Conference that the UK is either pursuing or already has, I'm not quite sure, effectively an electronic warfare anti-satellite system of its own, but based on the ground, so not a space-based one necessarily.

So that's quite interesting to compare and contrast those statements, in particular with a more diplomatic way, I think, the UK officials went about talking about this, which was to reassure that We obviously hope this is a deterrent.

Uh, we don't want a war in space.

That was one of the key messages emerging from this year's UK Space Power Conference, where military leaders, government officials, industry partners, academics and international allies gathered to discuss the future of the space domain and the capabilities needed to protect it.

Squadron Leader Amy spoke with the Chief of Staff of the Joint Force Space Component, the operational arm of UK Space Command.

Hi, I'm Wing Commander Neil Henley.

I'm the Chief of Staff of the Joint Force Space Component.

We're the operational arm of UK Space Command.

Earlier this month, military leaders, government officials, industry partners, academics and international allies came together for the UK Space Power Conference.

Hosted by UK Space Command, the conference examined how space is increasingly underpinning military operations, national security and economic prosperity, whilst exploring how the UK can develop the capabilities, partnerships and resilience needed to operate in an increasingly congested domain.

To help unpack the key themes and announcements, today we're joined by Wing Commander Neil Henley.