Boeing has said that it will attach sophisticated antennas to its new satellites as part of a broader push – supported by the Pentagon – to counteract concerns that these space assets may be disrupted by terrorists and hostile governments.

According to one US Air Force officer, such fears went “beyond idle speculation”.

“Some of our customers are looking for technology to potentially reduce the threat of jamming,” said Craig Cooning, deputy general manager of Boeing’s Space and Intelligence Systems unit, which builds commercial and military satellites.

Boeing was in talks with one commercial operator about the upgrade, Mr Cooning said, and the US military – 80 per cent of whose satellite communications are carried by commercial satellites – is also understood to be supportive of the move.

The company declined to comment on the cost of the scheme, although Mr Cooning said that Congress “may be willing to subsidise” the upgrades. He added: “Inevitably we’re going to see more jamming in the future.”

Anti-jamming technology is already used by military and spy satellites, but proposals to install similar protection in the 250 large satellites in commercial operation have been prompted by the threat of disruption.

The successful jamming of video, data, or voice signals by individuals or groups could jeopardise the millions of dollars spent on just a handful of satellites, operators fear.

Such jamming of government navigation satellites has already occurred, according to Lieutenant General Robert Kehler of the US Air Force, “as has jamming of commercial telecommunications satellites”.

The focus of several countries, including China, on pursuing a space agenda has prompted strong words from the Bush Administration. Two months ago the State Department warned about the national security threat that could arise from terrorist groups jamming, blinding or disabling satellites.

Intelsat, which owns the largest fleet of global telecommunications satellites, is understood to be under pressure from the Pentagon to include enhanced encryption capabilities on its newly built satellites, and a number of operators are now discussing plans that would increase the cost and complexity of the next generation of commercial spacecraft, according to industry officials.

Boeing’s existing "jam-resistant" antennas were developed solely for Pentagon applications, and the US Government would have to give its approval before the technology could be used on commercial satellites owned by foreign companies.

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