Pentagon Buys Up Starlink Terminals for Ukrainian Army, Regardless of Musk’s ‘WW3’ Fears

The Division of Protection stated Thursday it was buying SpaceX Starlink satellite tv for pc communication terminals and different companies, and all that’s being placed on a airplane for use by the Ukrainian navy to assist battle again the continuing Russian invasion.

Pentagon officers confirmed with Bloomberg Thursday that it was buying the terminals from Elon Musk’s SpaceX with funding for the acquisition seemingly coming from the DOD’s Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, saying “We proceed to work with a spread of world companions to make sure Ukraine has the resilient satellite tv for pc and communication capabilities they want.” Final yr after the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Musk promised to support Ukraine’s beleaguered web connectivity by means of Starlink.

Apart from that, there’s few particulars about how a lot SpaceX is getting for its Starlink terminals or what number of the Pentagon plans to offer to the Ukrainian navy. The division stated they weren’t disclosing extra for “operational safety causes” however did say “satellite tv for pc communications represent a significant layer in Ukraine’s total communications community and the division contracts with Starlink for companies of this sort.”

That is attention-grabbing for a number of causes. One, Musk reportedly complained final October about the price of supplying these Starlink terminals. He claimed his firm spent greater than $80 million supporting the nation, however studies like one from our mates at Quartz questioned that quantity.

The billionaire later reversed his decision saying “The hell with it… though Starlink continues to be dropping cash & different corporations are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll preserve funding the Ukraine govt totally free.” Ukraine has additionally needed to scrounge for funding to pay for more of these terminals which have develop into so essential for the continuing conflict effort. By the top of 2022, Ukraine had reportedly acquired 22,000 Starlink terminals.

Early in 2023, Musk started to openly question supporting Ukraine’s military with Starlink, particularly because the satellite tv for pc companies had at that time been extensively used to facilitate the nation’s expanding drone warfare program. He instructed ex-astronaut Scott Kelly that “we won’t allow escalation of battle which will result in WW3.” In February, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell told reporters the corporate had taken steps to restrict Ukraine’s potential to make use of Starlink for drones.

Because the U.S. hasn’t supplied something greater than the barest particulars concerning the Starlink buy, it’s unclear whether or not SpaceX will nonetheless have a say as to how these satellites can be utilized. Gizmodo reached out to the DOD for remark, however we didn’t hear again.

What is obvious is that SpaceX is very interested in cozying up to global militaries by means of extraordinarily profitable protection contracts. The corporate not too long ago revealed its “Starshield” division that’s solely geared towards utilizing Starlink companies for shielded commentary, communications, and for transferring delicate mission information.