HBK CHAT VOL 22 ISS 2 NEWSLETTER

International Space News (ISN)

Is low Earth orbiting (LEO) mega broadband constellations a game changer in modern day warfare? - Yunus Bhayat

Starlink’s network of about 2,000 satellites in low Earth orbit is designed to deliver high-speedinternetanywhere. SpaceX said in March this year that there are about 250,000 Starlink subscribers, which includes both consumers and enterprise customers. There are more than 10,000 Starlink terminals — aka dishes or antenna — providing service toUkraine according to a recent NBC news report. In April, theUnitedStates Agency for International Development told CNBC that “a range of stakeholders” contributed over $15 million worth in hardware and transportation services to deliver 5,000 Starlink terminals to Ukraine, with USAID directly procuring 1,333 terminals from SpaceX. Just after the war started in late February, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov took to Twitter to ask US billionaire, Elon Musk, to activate his Starlink satellites for use in Ukraine. This was after a suspected cyberattack disrupted previous satellite internet service while the Russian military targeted the country’s communications infrastructure. Musk swiftly tweeted his response: “Starlink service is

Image courtesy of www.starlink.com

now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route.” Soon after, a number of terminals and powerful batteries arrived in Ukraine. Fedorov took to Twitter again to express his gratitude: “Starlink — here. Thanks, @elonmusk.” No secret dispatches, no long debates, no governmental or parliamentary controls or protocols: just a very public deal between a politician and an enigmatic billionaire. What at first looked like a PR coup now seemed to be playing a significant role in the Russia Ukraine conflict. According to The Telegraph, Starlink is of particular military significance in areas where the infrastructure is weak and there is no internet connection. The Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance unit is using Starlink to monitor and coordinate unmanned

aerial (UAVs), enabling soldiers to fire anti tank weapons with targeted precision. Only the system’s high data rates can provide the stable communication required. An officer with the aerial reconnaissance unit described the system as follows: “use Starlink equipment and connect the drone team with our artillery team,” he said. “If we use a drone with thermal vision at night, the drone must connect through Starlink to the artillery guy and create target acquisition.” The Times furthermore reported that the team runs about 300 information gathering missions each day with attacks carried out at night as the drones, some of which are equipped with thermal cameras, are almost impossible to see in the dark. vehicles

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