The Skynet 6 programme is the United Kingdom’s flagship initiative to deliver the next generation of strategic and tactical military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and its allies. As the successor to the highly successful Skynet 5 programme, Skynet 6 represents a fundamental shift from simply providing satellite capacity to delivering a resilient, software-defined, and integrated communications network for the 21st-century battlespace.
Introduction
The Skynet 6 programme is not merely a satellite replacement; it is a transformational shift toward a more agile, secure, and resilient military space communications architecture. By embracing software-defined technology and a service-oriented ground segment, the UK is ensuring that its armed forces remain connected, protected, and effective in an era of great power competition and space-based threats. Skynet 6 will serve as the digital backbone of UK defence well into the 2040s. skynet 6 programme