Britain prepares to hand military satellite contract to US defence giant

An American defence giant has emerged as the frontrunner to build British military satellites, just hours after Ukraine's access to US systems was curtailed. In a prospective deal worth up to £2bn, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is pushing to buy a new generation of Skynet satellites from US giant Lockheed Martin. The Skynet system is a lynchpin of the British military, with the current fleet of satellites produced in the UK by Airbus. The technology allows the Armed Forces to communicate and share information securely anywhere in the world, even during a conflict. But with the MoD recommending a switch from British-developed technology to a US alternative, there are warnings that Washington could be handed a veto on how the UK uses the vital system.