• 11/14/2024

Pentagon extends its deal with Musk’s company to use Starlink in Ukraine

Pravda Ukraine

The US Department of Defense has extended the contract with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to provide Starlink Internet services in Ukraine for another six months.

Source: Bloomberg, as reported by European Pravda

Details: According to Space Systems Command spokesperson Bonnie Poindexter, the US Space Force has renewed its contract with SpaceX for US$14.1 million until 30 November.

Quote: “The contract provides access to the Starlink constellation, hardware, and customer support under negotiated terms and conditions,” she said.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the US military praised the Starlink terminals, which provide high-speed Internet connectivity for both critical military communications and civilians.

That is a small share of the US$2.5 billion in contracts SpaceX has won through its military satellite launch project.

The Pentagon states that it prevented the Russian military from using unauthorised Starlink internet terminals, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, on the battlefield in the war with Ukraine.

In February, the Ukrainian military noticed that the Russians had begun using Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink terminals at their positions. Later, this information was confirmed by Ukrainian military intelligence, which stated that Russia was buying terminals in Arab countries.

As a result, Democrats in the US House of Representatives launched an investigation into SpaceX.

Previously, in September 2023, the US Senate Armed Services Committee began studying national security issues caused by Elon Musk’s decision to block his private Starlink satellite network near occupied Crimea.

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https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/06/13/7460666/