As geopolitical tensions escalate and new technologies reshape the nature of defense, the threat to the critical infrastructure we maintain in space is growing at an unprecedented pace.
The changing landscape was underscored by United States Space Force General B. Chance Saltzman, who warned in December that adversaries are deploying hostile space capabilities at a “mind-boggling” rate. This is cause for concern, especially considering the importance of satellite communications for both civilian and military uses. It is vital that we rise to this challenge so we can feel secure today and in the future.
Satellites in orbit serve as the backbone of secure, real-time communications around the globe. For military and intelligence operations, the stakes are even higher: secure and reliable military satellite communications — or MilSatCom — ensure that key information flows where and when it is needed.
However, as more nations and private actors venture into space, the risk of interference, jamming and direct attacks on satellite systems is greater than ever. For example, Moscow has been threatening to shoot down any Western satellite it believes is aiding Ukraine. The United Kingdom must recognize that ensuring safe and resilient communications infrastructure in space is a strategic imperative.
In response to these growing challenges, Airbus Defence and Space has set out a new vision for the future of MilSatCom — one that builds on the U.K.’s heritage of innovation, while embracing a forward-looking strategy to tackle emerging threats. Our vision, grounded in more than 50 years of experience providing the Skynet military constellation for the U.K. and allied nations, moves away from the traditional, single-spacecraft model towards a multi-layer, multi-orbit approach that combines resilience, flexibility, and responsiveness. By deploying a network of proliferated but orchestrated platforms across orbits, we are designing a system that is disaggregated by design. This approach will allow the U.K.’s space infrastructure to function even if individual satellites face disruption, attack or degradation.
In practice, this vision entails building a constellation of interconnected satellites across different orbital planes — each performing specific, vital functions while being coordinated and managed through AI systems to function as a cohesive, resilient network. Unlike satellite structures of the past, this approach to MilSatCom relies on new technology to reduce vulnerability to single points of failure, enhancing operational security.
A disaggregated network provides redundancy and flexibility, so if one part of the system is compromised, the whole continues to operate and adapt in real time. By embracing a distributed network, we reinforce our ability to communicate securely in a contested space environment. Importantly, this vision is based on developing architecture that enables interoperability between compatible platforms, allowing allied nations to maintain sovereign capability while contributing to a permanent, semi-permanent or tactical timescale, depending on strategic and immediate military requirements.
The value of independent MilSatCom
The importance of interoperability cannot be overstated, as it allows allied nations to develop their sovereign capability. Just as the U.K. has maintained its own nuclear deterrent and a dedicated intelligence infrastructure, a self-reliant space capability is critical to secure independent operations. Relying on allied assets, while essential to cooperative security, is insufficient. There are scenarios where national interests and allied priorities diverge, and in those situations, the U.K.’s ability to maintain control over its military communications and intelligence channels could mean the difference between mission success and failure.
Achieving this vision will require an unprecedented level of collaboration between the U.K. government, its defense agencies and industry players of all sizes. With the proliferation of multi-orbit platforms, the sooner we can agree on a sovereign approach, the better the chance of creating a coherent plan moving into the future.
The success of the U.K.’s space ambitions depends not only on the technology we develop but also on the strength of the partnerships we forge. By bringing together the best of the U.K.’s space sector — large, established players and smaller enterpreises alike — we can build a robust space ecosystem that ensures the U.K. remains a leader in secure satellite communications for decades to come; something we hope to see the U.K. recognize in its forthcoming Strategic Defence Review and longer-term Industrial Strategy.
The threat to our space assets is growing, and we must stay ahead of all challenges. To do so, we need a proactive, resilient vision that embraces the evolving challenges of the space domain. Together, with government support and the innovation U.K. companies are renowned for, we have an opportunity to elevate the U.K.’s space capabilities to the next generation — ensuring that our critical satellite communications infrastructure remains secure and effective in an increasingly complex world.
Ben Bridge is the executive vice president of Global Business and U.K. chairman for Airbus Defence and Space
