Space has been enabling military capabilities for decades, beginning in 1990 with the First Gulf War and the now ubiquitous GPS. The fact that technology has moved on and enables a whole host of military capabilities in modern-day warfare has become household knowledge since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in early 2022.
From satellite images to the enabling of communications via Starlink satellites, space has moved into the limelight, and with it, so have the commercial companies that are providing these services. How have these private companies, such as Starlink and Maxar, affected the battlefield? And to what extent is the involvement of private companies new? How has space influenced the war in Ukraine and what lessons can we draw for defence? This panel will discuss the impact of commercial space capability in the military domain and the effect of improved space capability availability on resilience.
Volodymyr Levykin, Skyrora
Allen Antrobus, Serco Ltd
Della Granville, Maxar Technologies