A multibillion pound space communications contract has reportedly triggered debate over defense sovereignty
A major British contract to build new military satellites has sparked concern in London about the UK’s growing reliance on the US for critical communication capabilities, the Financial Times has reported.
At the center of the debate is Skynet 6, a planned fleet of next generation military communications satellites that will replace and expand the UK’s existing Skynet system, which is used to connect armed forces at home and overseas. The £10 billion (nearly $14 billion) program is being contested by Airbus, a European aerospace group that has run the UK’s military space program for more than 25 years, and Lockheed Martin, a US aerospace giant.
According to unnamed officials cited by FT on Monday, there are doubts such a sensitive project should go to a US headquartered company as Washington’s policies are seen as increasingly unpredictable. Recent remarks by US President Donald Trump toward European NATO members and over Greenland have heightened concerns that political tensions could affect defense cooperation, the outlet wrote.
A decision on which company will get the contract is expected by the end of 2026. Airbus has large satellite building sites in Stevenage and Portsmouth, employing around 3,000 people, and sources told the paper that billions of pounds in potential exports could be at risk if the company loses its role in the UK program. Lockheed Martin has promised to build a UK facility if it wins the contract.
The US pursues its own high-profile military projects in space. Last year, Trump announced the launch of the ‘Golden Dome’ initiative, aiming to build a space-integrated shield capable of intercepting missiles from anywhere in the world. He described it as a “cutting-edge” system combining existing defense assets with new technologies across land, sea, and space, including orbital sensors and interceptors.
Moscow has criticized the project as a destabilizing step toward the weaponization of space. In the meantime, Russia is seeking to launch its own satellite internet network analogous to Starlink operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company by 2027, according to the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Bakanov.
