The Sun
AMERICA plans three secret space bases in the UK to protect satellites from Russian and Chinese weapons.
The US Space Force is examining sites in Scotland and the south of England for a tracking installation, as well as others in Texas and Australia.
The Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability, or DARC, can spot objects the size of footballs from 22,400 miles away.
The system, which could be up and running by 2027, scours the skies for suspicious activity and dangerous space debris.
Lt Col Jack Walker, from the US Space and Missile Systems Centre, said there could be up to 16 massive satellite dishes.
Each of them would be 50ft in diameter and would be arrayed across an area the size of 150 football pitches.
Speaking at the speaking at the US Space And Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles, Walker said: “It is necessary because we want to keep chain-of-custody of targets that could threaten our systems that are in geosynchronous orbit.”
“It could be satellites or it could just be debris from rocket bodies from other launches.”
He added: “We have to know what is going on up there.”
He was joined at the event by Ben Wallace, the UK defence secretary, and two British military chiefs.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, head of the RAF, suggested that the threats posed in space are increasing as some countries have developed laser technology that can be fired from the Earth at targets in orbit.
He said: “Our highest priority is understanding what is going on in space. We know that bad things are happening.
“We know irresponsible, reckless behaviour and the testing of space-based weapons by Russia and China is going on — but we don’t have a full picture.”
DARC is the first equipment to focus on satellites in high-Earth orbit that includes military communications and missile early warning systems.
It will bolster the intelligence from RAF Fylingdales space surveillance centre at Snod Hill in North Yorkshire.
That radar station can scan out to about 5,000 kilometres and provides an early warning system for incoming ballistic missiles.
But, Mr Wallace, who is part of the visiting party to the US, insisted the UK is focused on defending itself in space rather than developing space weapons to launch attacks.
Asked about the prospect of a deep space spy base in the UK, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said: “This new radar capability has the potential to make space safer and more secure, helping to protect our satellite system by tracking and monitoring objects.
“We are exploring our potential partnership with the USA on DARC and discussions so far have been positive.”
