Britain has promised it will boost its ability to handle threats posed by Russia and China in space as part of a foreign, security and defence policy review, according to the defence secretary, Ben Wallace..

“This week we have been reminded of the threat Russia poses to our national security with the provocative test of a weapon-like projectile from a satellite threatening the peaceful use of space,” Wallace wrote in the Sunday Telegraph, adding that China also posed a threat.

“China, too, is developing offensive space weapons and both nations are upgrading their capabilities. Such behaviour only underlines the importance of the review the [UK] government is currently conducting.”

On Thursday Britain laid concerns about a Russian satellite test which involved the launch of a projectile with the “characteristics of a weapon”.