United Kingdom Air Force Chief of Staff Michael Wigston claims that Moscow and Beijing are carrying out “dubious operations” in space, including flying their own satellites in “close proximity” to others.
As reported by TASS, on Thursday the chief of staff of the United Kingdom Air Force Michael Wigston said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph that the British military command believes that the activities of Russia and China in space pose a threat to the country’s security.
“According to him, Moscow and Beijing are carrying out “dubious operations” in space, including flying their own satellites in the “immediate vicinity” of others, as well as engaging in other “dangerous activities” on a daily basis that can lead to the destruction of satellites of third countries. Wigston suggested that Russia and China are collecting intelligence in space, because, according to the British military leader, there is reason to believe that future conflicts will be won or lost in outer space. He also claimed that over the past year Russia has deployed a number of satellites that “have the characteristics of a weapon”, the statement said.
Wigston’s remarks were made against the backdrop of the official ceremony for the establishment of the United Kingdom Space Command, which took place on Thursday at an air base in High Wycombe in the south-east of England. The initial task of the new structure will be the implementation of the first launch of a British rocket with a satellite from Scotland in 2022. The UK is committed to playing a more significant role in the global space industry over the coming decade, as noted in the Comprehensive Security, Defense and Foreign Policy Review presented in March.