What is Starshield, the military version of Starlink that is in focus after Ukraine's complaints

What is Starshield, the military version of Starlink that is the focus after Ukraine's complaints Musk claims that these two systems are separate, but in many cases they use the same satellite technology. "The Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government," Musk wrote on Wednesday on X, adding that any limitations on speed or use are determined by the US military or the president. "Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. The use of Starlink is limited to civil or defense activities and cannot be used for offensive military operations, as this would be inappropriate for a commercial company." What is Starlink Starlink as SpaceX's main source of revenue is a network of more than 11,000 satellites that send the internet directly to user terminals the size of folded newspapers. It has about 13 million subscribers, from households and hikers to shipping companies and large airlines. Since the launch of the first satellites in 2019 using reusable rockets, SpaceX has built a huge constellation in low Earth orbit that covers a large part of the planet and offers faster connections than traditional communication satellites, which are usually much farther from Earth and have significantly less. Starlink initially gave Ukraine a crucial communication advantage and changed the way armies operate on the battlefield. Musk, however, limited Starlink for certain military purposes, emphasizing Starshield as a more secure network developed for government and military missions. What is Starshield Starshield is a business unit of SpaceX that develops military and intelligence satellite systems for the Pentagon. Although its missions are separate from Starlink's commercial services, the boundary is not always clear. Starshield's secure communication services use enhanced encryption and dedicated terminals but rely on the Starlink constellation as the backbone. According to SpaceX, Starshield uses Starlink's technology, engineering, and operational experience. In addition to secure communications, the military version can also enable Earth observation and the integration of sensors or other useful payloads. The Pentagon, the largest customer of Starshield, has spent billions of dollars on the services of both systems. It has also purchased dedicated Starshield satellites, including communication drones for early warning of missiles and a spy constellation for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), as reported by Reuters in 2024. Questions about the relationship between Starlink and Starshield have existed since Russia threatened Western satellites supporting Ukraine in 2022. SpaceX introduced Starshield later that year, but due to national security secrecy, the exact boundary between the two systems remained unclear. The Price Dispute This difference became the subject of a dispute earlier this year when the Pentagon clashed with SpaceX over higher prices for satellite services that military drones used during the conflict with Iran, Reuters reported. SpaceX argued that some users paying around $5,000 for a Starlink terminal should use the Starshield service which costs around $25,000 per terminal. The United Kingdom also uses Starshield. According to this arrangement, the service uses the same satellite constellation, ground stations, and infrastructure as Starlink, but operates through dedicated terminals and separate network access points, said the British Ministry of Defence to Reuters. Other US partners also assess the system. New Zealand is testing Starshield to assess its usefulness for military operations, previously reported by Reuters from the New Zealand Defence Forces.