Less than two months after being officially formed, the UK’s nascent Space Command is looking to establish an initial operating capability (IOC) in the first quarter of next year.
In a speech to the Cambridge branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society on May 6, AVM Paul Godfrey - the inaugural commander of UK Space Command - said the target would be to establish a headquarters building at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, by June 2021. Subsequent plans aim for the new command to achieve IOC in Q1 2022.
The space domain was mentioned as being an area of strategic importance in the recently released Integrated Review, which redefined the defence and security posture of the UK to include a heavy emphasis on intelligence gathering and the digital battlespace.
According to the UK MOD, Space Command has been established as a Joint Command, staffed by members of the British Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, the Civil Service and members of the commercial sector.
UK Space Command will work alongside the MOD Space Directorate, which is responsible for defence space policy and strategy, as well as cross-government and …
