So, it appears one of Ukraines latest generation naval drones has washed ashore. They are widely believed to be Starlink powered.
Year of @Starlink in #Ukraine. Real stories from the community.- More than 10000 terminals repaired (all services)- Many modifications and adaptations have been developed (auto, power, GPS).- Unique training materials and lectures.- Unique auxiliary software was created.
The U.S. satellite Internet system "Starlink" technology that covers the world continues to make breakthroughs, causing renewed anxiety in the Chinese military and academic circles. Chinese state-owned enterprises will launch thousands of low-orbit satellites starting this year to create a Chinese version of the satellite Internet "State Grid" to compete with it. However, experts believe that in terms of rocket launch technology, the gap between China and the US commercial satellite launch giant SpaceX is still widening.
In 2022, a woman in Iran died after being detained by the "moral police", triggering large-scale protests across the country . Musk decided at that time to strengthen the coverage of "Starlink" in Iran to help people break through the Iranian authorities' Internet blockade and censorship and use online social media.Experts say that these international events have made China realize the role of "Starlink" in free network communications and the urgency of building a "Made in China" satellite Internet.Namrata Goswami, a scholar of space policy and geopolitics, told VOA: "China has concluded through observations last year that in the event of an escalation of the conflict in Taiwan, something similar to Starlink Once technology intervenes, the strategic support force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, also known as China's space force, must deal with it very seriously."
However, the newly launched Direct to Cell function of "Starlink" has also caused concerns among Chinese officials. On January 3 this year, SpaceX successfully launched 21 "Starlink" satellites, including 6 with direct connection to mobile phones; smartphone users on the ground (4G or above) can connect to the broadband network without purchasing additional equipment. SpaceX calls this type of "Starlink" satellite a "cell phone tower in space."The "China National Defense News" article stated that after this business achieves large-scale application in the future, the "Starlink" system will be connected to a large number of communication devices to achieve seamless global communications. Whether this feature will be open to Chinese users is still unknown.However, Rogier Creemers, assistant professor of Modern China Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands and co-founder of the “DigiChina” project at Stanford University’s Cyber Policy Center, told VOA: “(The Chinese government) Wants to block any network connections it doesn't control."
Under the PLEO indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract, space companies will be able to bid on about $900 million worth of military task orders over the next five years. “Once we make a determination of a customer’s needs, we try to help connect them to capability as soon as possible,” said Hopper.
Starlink service is now highly sought after by many parts of the DoD and U.S. armed forces. Of the $70 million task order awarded to SpaceX, “we’ve obligated approximately $25 million in funds sourced from about 50 different customers” across the DoD, Hopper added. “We’re seeing a diverse demand for that vehicle, and we’ve been modifying that particular task order seemingly every couple of weeks.”
Hopper noted that the $70 million task order is not a complete reflection of DoD’s entire use of Starlink, as some organizations procure services under other contracts not managed by CSCO.
She said the current contract ceiling of $900 million could be raised if needed. “We are working with DISA on perhaps adjusting that due to demand.”
https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/05/europe/ukraine-drone-jet-skis-russian-warship-intl/index.htmlA Ukrainian pilot outlines how drones powered by jet skis sunk a Russian warship‘Jeweler’s work’The impact of the drones is impressive but it’s delicate work, said the pilot.“The main thing is to feel the drone,” he told CNN. “If you squeeze it a little, you can lose control of the drone. I would say it’s like jeweler’s work.Controlled from afar via a Starlink connection, the drones can also be pre-programmed for the long journeys across the Black Sea.A pilot is constantly monitoring the drone’s passage, he said, with the final run into the targets often controlled manually.
A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia. This is categorically false. To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia.
I need to comment on this.🇷🇺 are importing Starlink terminals from 3rd countries with huge overprice (I mean 5k-6k USD per Dishy). They are paying for the service via front persons and EU cards. Nothing special.Starlink is not working in 🇷🇺, only on 🇺🇦 land (including occupied).
⚡️The 🇺🇦Ukrainian military reports that Starlink has begun to be delivered en masse to the 🇷🇺Russian military through Dubai, the accounts are activated and work in the occupied territories.
Starlink is currently being used in Sudan by a Paramilitary group amid a nationwide internet blackout.
A group of U.S. lawmakers are calling on Elon Musk to make SpaceX’s Starshield military-specific satellite communications network available to American defense forces in Taiwan after years of refusing to do business in the country.In a letter to Musk obtained by Forbes, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) reminded the billionaire of SpaceX’s contractual obligation to provide the U.S. Department of Defense with “global access” to its satellite internet services. He noted that the Pentagon is committing “tens of millions of dollars” over the next year to StarShield, which uses low-Earth orbit satellites to provide communications and observational imagery to the military. “I understand that SpaceX is possibly withholding broadband internet services in and around Taiwan — possibly in breach of SpaceX’s contractual obligations with the U.S. government,” Gallagher, who is chair of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, wrote in the letter dated February 24.
But the discussions were interrupted in the last quarter of 2023 when it became clear that lawmakers in the Communist-ruled country would not soften foreign ownership limits for SpaceX, the industry source told Reuters.The suspension of talks led to the interruption starting in November of Starlink's previously unreported pilot services for Vietnam's coast guard, which used the satellites to guide drones in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, a second Vietnamese official said.
The industry source said SpaceX had also been in discussions with Vietnam about providing technology services for military outposts.