US-UK space
surveillance plan
Officials Discuss Plans for UK-Based USSF Deep-Space Radar Site
Officials from the U.S. Space Force and the U.K. government are discussing plans to establish a deep-space radar site in the U.K.
The planned U.K. site will be part of three locations in support of the Space Force’s Deep Space Advanced Radar Concept.
DARC is a network of sensors envisioned to track active satellites and debris beyond geostationary orbit or about 35,786 km above the Earth, SpaceNews reported Thursday.
The Air Force started working on the DARC project in 2017. According to the service, DARC is an all-weather ground-based radar system that will enable space domain awareness 24/7.
One of the DARC sites will be located in the U.S., while the third will also be outside the country.
On July 17, The Guardian reported that Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston, head of the U.K. Royal Air Force, had held talks with the U.S. about the plans on the DARC site development.
According to Wigston, the U.K. government is “very interested” in housing the U.S. radar station and in the DARC project.
However, a spokesperson from the Space Force told SpaceNews that a final decision has yet to be made.
The governments of the U.S. and the U.K. previously warned that great powers China and Russia are building weapon systems that can take out satellites.
To counter its adversaries, the U.S. is boosting the Department of Defense’s budget.
Recent developments include the Senate Armed Services Committee’s approval of a $740 billion budget for fiscal year 2022, a $24 billion increase from President Joe Biden’s request, which was released in May.
Category: Space
