The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter not yet made public, said the issue has been discussed in meetings and senior leaders are weighing the matter. There have been no decisions.
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department has gotten a request from SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk to take over funding for his satellite network that has provided crucial battlefield communications for Ukrainian military forces during the war with Russia, U.S. officials said Friday.
Musk’s Starlink system of more than 2,200 low-orbiting satellites has provided broadband internet to more than 150,000 Ukrainian ground stations. Early Friday, Musk tweeted that it was costing SpaceX $20 million a month to support Ukraine’s communications needs.In addition to the terminals, he tweeted that the company has to create, launch, maintain and replenish satellites and ground stations.The Starlink satellite internet’s vital role in Ukraine’s defense cannot be overstated.
In response to multiple questions during a briefing, Singh said the Pentagon was working with the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. “We know that there is this demand, and capability ... is needed and we want to be able to ensure that there are stable communications for the Ukrainian forces and for Ukraine.”
Musk also started a Twitter poll asking whether “the will of the people” should decide if seized regions remain part of Ukraine or become part of Russia. It’s not clear how much of the cost of deploying Starlink satellite uplinks in Ukraine has been covered by U.S. funding. In April, the U.S. Agency for International Development said it had delivered 5,000 of the terminals. The Pentagon had no response to that question.
“Commercial vendors always get to change their mind,"Ferrari said, adding that the reliance on Starlink to provide communications for Ukraine also serves as a reminder that the Pentagon has to expand this service beyond SpaceX, he said.
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