General (r) Alexandru Grumaz speaks of the “fight in the cosmos” of Russia with NATO states. Moscow tried to bruise the military satellites of the United Kingdom and Germany.
The fight between Russia and the United Kingdom is given in space and targets satellites. Photo: Shutterstock
“Fight in the cosmos: Russia follows the spy satellites of the English!”, Writes the reserve general Alexandru Grumaz.
He refers to an interview with the BBC by General Major Paul Tedman who spoke about the interference of Moscow against the spatial means of the United Kingdom. He said that Russia also tried to bruise the military satellites of the United Kingdom with terrestrial systems each week.
Last month, the German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Russia followed the satellites used by his army. “They have useful loads on board that can see our satellites and try to collect information from them” – he showed.
“Russia has developed the ability to place nuclear weapons in space”
General Tedman also mentioned that the British military satellites were equipped with counterbalance technologies, but added: “We see how our satellites are embarrassed by the Russians in a fairly persistent way. ”
“The UK has half a dozen military satellites dedicated to orbit, which provides communications and surveillance. In contrast, the US, China and Russia each have over one hundred. The combined fleet of Russian and Chinese satellites has increased by 70% in the last decade.” says Grumaz.
General Tedman said that both Russia and China have tested antisatelite weapons. “Both the United Kingdom and the US warned that Russia has developed the ability to place nuclear weapons in space ”says the general.
While the US considers China as the main threat, General Tedman considers Russia as imminent danger: “I would say that the Chinese have a more sophisticated capacity, but the Russians have more will to use their anti-spatial systems.”
General Tedman mentioned that he is “very worried” of what is happening in space – not only threats, but also of increasing congestion.
Currently, there are about 45,000 objects in orbit, including about 9,000 satellites. This year another 300 rockets will be launched in space. The general spoke during a visit to the Rafly Flyingdales in North Yorkshire. This houses the early warning system for ballistic missiles of the United Kingdom and America. It is an activity that I have been doing since 1963.
Currently, the United Kingdom has very few ballistic missile defense systems. The Rafly Flyingdales air base in North Yorkshire hosts the early warning system against the ballistic missiles of the United Kingdom and America. The British government promises to invest more in both space and missile defense. It also takes measures to defend their satellites. This week announces that it will test sensors to detect laser threats in space.
“One billion pounds in the integrated air and missile defense and I would be surprised if there was no space.”
Both China and Russia have developed lasers that could be used to blind and disrupt the satellites of an opponent. General Tedman said: “We are committed to investing a billion pounds in the integrated air and missile defense and I would be surprised if there was no space. The way we defend the United Kingdom is very similar to the golden dome (of America).”
He referred to President Donald Trump's plan to build a shield around the US against any missile attacks. However, the United Kingdom is in danger of being left behind in the space race. Currently, he spends about 1% of his defense budget for space. Instead, France spends about 3%, and the US 5%.
General Tedman would like the space to be given a greater priority. He says that about 450 billion pounds in the Economy of the United Kingdom depend on space. It is also the nervous system on which the armed forces of the United Kingdom depend more and more – from navigation to precision blows. They notice launches of ballistic rockets with short range almost every day. In this incident, they will not say where but it is no secret that Russia has launched them regularly in Ukraine. In 2024, over 4,000 missiles were launched worldwide. Russia was the reason why Flyingdales was first created in the Cold War era.
“The threat did not disappear”General Grumaz concluded.
