The Ministry of Defence announced in May that RAF Air Command had assumed responsibility for command and control of UK military space operations. At the same time, Mr Williamson confirmed he was boosting the 500 personnel currently working in the UK defence space sector by a afifth, to take the number up to more than 600, promising the strategy would be delivered by the summer. However, eight months on and there’s still no sign of any detail emerging.
Neil Fraser, a business director for satellite company ViaSat, said there was “concern amongst many of the industry players that the MoD is taking a long time to make the space strategy a reality.”
Mr Fraser, himself a former army officer, told the Financial Times: “Sometimes our military has champagne taste but beer money.”
He stressed there was a need for attract private investment in order to make better use of defence finances.
A wide-ranging audit of Britain’s military space capabilities was ordered by General Sir Gordon Messenger last month.
Meanwhile the unveiling of the strategy is also likely to be pushed back by a review of the UK’s military priorities in advance of a wider government spending review in the autumn.
One senior army officer said: “I wish we could have seen it sooner.
“You run the risk of it being outdated as soon as it is published.
“It’s pretty fast moving. We have to future-proof it.”
With Brexit looming, Britain faces major questions as it plots a course through the 21st century.
Speaking in May Mr Williamson said: “We must make sure we are primed and ready to deter and counter the intensifying threats to our everyday life that are emerging in space.
“That’s why today I’m announcing the RAF is taking the lead in this area and why we plan to increase the number of personnel covering space.
“It is essential we protect our interests and assets from potential adversaries who seek to cause major disruption and do us harm.
“Britain is a world leader in the space industry and our defence scientists and military personnel have played a central role in the development of the EU’s Galileo satellite programme alongside British companies, so it is important we also review our contribution and how we plan for alternative systems in this crucial area.”
Nevertheless, decisions still need to be taken in a number of key areas, not least the aforementioned Galileo system, with Prime Minister Theresa May having earmarked £92million for an 18-month feasibility study on a UK alternative system.
Britain’s space sector is currently burgeoning, with 25 percent of all telecommunications satellites build in this country.
Bearing this is mind, the MoD must also decide whether it will build and launch Britain’s own Earth observation satellite, which would allow the military to gather detailed images and video.