UK Military Satellite Contract Decision Under Review Amid Job Concerns

• •The UK PM is reconsidering the Skynet 6 contract award to Lockheed Martin.
• •Choosing Lockheed Martin could jeopardize 3,000 UK jobs and the domestic space sector.
• •Unite union warns of national security risks from reliance on US military communications.

The UK Prime Minister is reviewing the decision to award the £2.4bn Skynet 6 military satellite contract to Lockheed Martin, a US firm, instead of Airbus, a European competitor. This decision could impact 3,000 jobs in the UK, primarily in Stevenage and Portsmouth, where Airbus has operated for over 20 years. Unite, the UK’s leading union, argues that awarding the contract to Lockheed Martin would undermine the UK’s space sector and national security, citing risks of dependency on US control over military communications. The review follows a meeting where some Ministry of Defence officials reportedly supported the American bid. The Prime Minister is expected to make a decision within two weeks, with significant implications for the UK’s defense industrial capabilities.