Major General Paul Tedman, a senior officer in the British Army, has been appointed as the new leader of UK Space Command, according to a recent announcement from the Ministry of Defence.
He takes over from Air Vice-Marshal Paul Godfrey, who has been promoted to Air Marshal and will now serve as Assistant Chief of Space Operations for Future Concepts and Partnerships at the U.S. Space Force.
Major General Tedman’s appointment follows a two-year tenure at U.S. Space Command, where he served as Deputy Director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J5).
He was the first exchange officer to hold this role, where he played a key part in enhancing U.S.-led combined space operations and global security cooperation.
“I am honoured to have been selected to command UK Space Command and to lead our joint space forces,” said Major General Tedman. “It is a privilege to command in such an important domain, at such a critical time.”
He also expressed his intent to develop the UK’s space capabilities further and integrate them with joint forces, continuing the work of his predecessor.
UK Space Command recently marked a significant milestone by successfully launching the Tyche satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on 16 August 2024. Tyche is the first satellite in a planned constellation under the Ministry of Defence’s Programme ISTARI, which aims to deliver space-based Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities by 2031.
Reflecting on his time at UK Space Command, Air Marshal Godfrey said, “I am incredibly proud of everyone at UK Space Command and all that we have achieved since our formation in April 2021.” He expressed confidence that Major General Tedman is well-suited to guide the command into its next phase, saying, “He is exactly the right person to move UK Space Command forward.”
UK Space Command monitors the space domain for potential threats to military, civilian, and economic activities.
Major General Tedman, who was commissioned into the Army Air Corps in 1997, has held various command positions in both the UK and US, with operational deployments in the Balkans, Africa, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Junior officers are 2nd Lieutenant to Captain. Senior officers are Major to Colonel. General officers are Brigadier to General. The headline should read: “British General to lead . . . “.
Majors are not considered to be senior officers. They are Field Officers, as are Lt Cols, Colonels, and I think Brigadiers. Unusually Brigadiers are not considered to be General officers in the British Army, despite them being 1-stars. Major Generals and above are General Officers.
All officers Lt Col and above are senior officers.