Another step toward the militarization of space was taken over Sept. 4-12, when the Space Forces of the U.S. and the U.K. combined in a maneuver to “surround” a satellite in orbit. The fact that this Rendezvous Proximity Operation effectively began simultaneously with Trump’s prostrating himself before the British royalty on his London visit cannot be overlooked.
Performed 36,000 km above Earth in the “geosynchronous” orbit—valued for both communications and for spying—the operation involved a U.S. satellite approaching a British satellite and then going into “micro orbit” around it, performing numerous epicircles around it before departing. While the release was euphemistic, saying the U.S. was merely “checking” on the performance of the British satellite, the real potential—to temporarily “jam” the victim satellite’s ability to receive or transmit data—was clear to all.
“U.K. Space Command and U.S. Space Command have conducted the first U.K.-U.S. joint military operation in space,” stated a Royal Air Force release, an operation which “involves meticulous and careful planning [by the] ‘Multinational Force—Operation Olympic Defender,’ a U.S.-led space coalition, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and New Zealand, alongside the U.K. and the U.S.A.”
“I could not be more pleased,” gushed the Commander of U.K. Space Command Major General Paul Tedman. Not hesitating to hide the military potential, Tedman added: “We are now, with our allies, conducting advanced orbital operations to protect and defend our shared national and military interests in space.” Also confirming the military intent of the Rendezvous, U.S. Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess, Commander of U.S. Space Forces, bubbled that “this coordinated maneuver between two allies validated the interoperability that’s foundational to our collective defense,” reported a Space Command statement.
Operation Olympic Defender was established by the U.S. Space Corps in 2013, but languished for seven years. In 2020, Australia, Canada and the U.K. joined up, with France and Germany joining in 2024 and New Zealand in 2025.
