Instead, the UK will explore options to build its own
Global Navigation Satellite System that can help guide
military drones, run energy networks and provide
essential services for civilian smart phones. It will
also work with the US to continue accessing its trusted
GPS system.
UK Space Agency (UKSA) is currently leading the work,
with the full support of the Ministry of Defence, and
any British system will provide both open and encrypted
signals, giving it the same range of commercial and
security applications as GPS and Galileo.
British Armed Forces were due to have access to
Galileo’s encrypted system when it is fully operational
in 2026. However the National Cyber Security Centre and
Ministry of Defence have concluded it would not be in
the UK’s security interests to use the system’s secure
elements if it had not been fully involved in their
development.
The Prime Minister, said:
I have been clear from the outset that the UK will
remain firmly committed to Europe’s collective
security after Brexit.
But given the Commission’s decision to bar the UK
from being fully involved in developing all aspects
of Galileo it is only right that we find
alternatives.
I cannot let our Armed Services depend on a system we
cannot be sure of. That would not be in our national
interest.
And as a global player with world-class engineers and
steadfast allies around the world we are not short of
options.
In August the Prime Minister tasked British engineering
and aerospace experts to develop options and set aside
£92 million for the plans. Since then over fifty UK
companies have expressed interest in the project and a
series of key contracts are now being tendered.
When commissioning options the PM set out that the
British system must be compatible with the US GPS
system, meaning that if either were subject to
malicious attack the other could provide crucial
positioning information.
The Prime Minister has also confirmed that the UK is in
close contact with key international allies on plans
for the national system.
The UK’s Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies
would be used to provide the global network of
locations needed for the necessary ground-based
infrastructure and worldwide coverage.
Recent estimates indicate that over 11 per cent of the
UK’s GDP is directly supported by satellite navigation
systems and the Blackett review estimated that a
failure of service could cost the UK economy £1 billion
a day. Resilient and secure position, navigation and
timing services are increasingly essential for defence,
critical national infrastructure and emergency
response.
The UK is a world-leader in developing satellite
technology. Britain has a 40% share of the global
export market for small satellites and makes major
components for one in four of the world’s
telecommunications satellites. Glasgow builds more
satellites than any other European city. The UK has
particular expertise in security, cryptography and
satellite manufacture, and has manufactured all of the
Galileo satellite payloads to date.
As part of the modern Industrial Strategy the
government is committed to growing the UK space sector
– helping create 30,000 high-skilled jobs by 2030.
