The Pentagon is buying SpaceX’s satellite communications for Ukraine, despite Elon Musk’s erratic relationship with the Pentagon.
The Defense Department confirmed the contract award Thursday, saying in a statement that satellite communications are a “vital layer in Ukraine’s overall communications network and the department contracts with Starlink for services of this type.”
But the Pentagon would not disclose additional information about the cost or scope of the contract for “operational security reasons and due to the critical nature of these systems.” Bloomberg first reported the contract with SpaceX.
“We continue to work with a range of global partners to ensure Ukraine has the satellite and communication capabilities they need,” the department said.
SpaceX’s Starlink constellation is made up of 4,000 small satellites that reside in low Earth orbit.
Musk’s company donated 20,000 of its satellite internet terminals and millions of dollars’ worth of service to the Ukrainian military in the months that followed Russia’s invasion.
However, in October, SpaceX said it would stop those donations and asked the Pentagon to pay for the services instead. Three months after that, Starlink officials said they had taken steps to prevent Ukraine’s use of the terminals on the battlefield; Musk declared, in apparent contradiction of Starlink’s work for the Pentagon, that the service was “never intended to be weaponized.”
In March, lawmakers and the commander of U.S. Space Command Gen. James Dickinson expressed concern about SpaceX’s move to limit Ukraine’s use of Starlink.
“I was personally disappointed to see discontinuation of full services at such a critical time for Ukraine self-defense,” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., told Dickinson. “Do you feel there’s a connection between the availability of this capability to our partners in Ukraine in this conflict, and relationships we have with companies like SpaceX?”
Dickinson answered plainly: “Yes.”
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