Using Starlink Paints a Target on Ukrainian TroopsQuote....One drone unit commander near the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut said his problems were unrelated to GPS jamming. Sometime in January, the commander said, Starlink uplink had been degraded to the point that his units often couldn’t make audio calls. Instead, the device could only send and receive text messages. The Starlink terminal also took longer to find satellites. Clark said these problems were likely due to advanced jamming systems that attack the uplink of information to a satellite. The Russian military typically keeps these systems in reserve to defend Russian territory itself. They are theoretically vulnerable to Ukrainian strikes as they must be deployed within dozens of kilometers from their target and are not highly mobile. ----
....One drone unit commander near the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut said his problems were unrelated to GPS jamming. Sometime in January, the commander said, Starlink uplink had been degraded to the point that his units often couldn’t make audio calls. Instead, the device could only send and receive text messages. The Starlink terminal also took longer to find satellites. Clark said these problems were likely due to advanced jamming systems that attack the uplink of information to a satellite. The Russian military typically keeps these systems in reserve to defend Russian territory itself. They are theoretically vulnerable to Ukrainian strikes as they must be deployed within dozens of kilometers from their target and are not highly mobile. ----
Hendrickx, a Belgium-based amateur researcher whose uncovering of Russian procurement and court documents has yielded most of the limited public information available about the Tobol program, initially concluded that the system was defensive in nature, according to his 2020 analysis published by the Space Review. But further analysis, underpinned by court documents describing “specialized complexes for the electronic attack of space assets,” led to fresh revelations and he predicted last year that Tobol can be used offensively.
Russia unveils secretive weapon to target SpaceX’s Starlink in UkraineExtensively refers to work done by NSF member B. Hendrickx, see Russian space-related electronic warfare projectsQuoteHendrickx, a Belgium-based amateur researcher whose uncovering of Russian procurement and court documents has yielded most of the limited public information available about the Tobol program, initially concluded that the system was defensive in nature, according to his 2020 analysis published by the Space Review. But further analysis, underpinned by court documents describing “specialized complexes for the electronic attack of space assets,” led to fresh revelations and he predicted last year that Tobol can be used offensively.
SpaceX's Starlink has a Pentagon contract for internet service in Ukraine, the DoD said in a statement today. But the value, award date, other details are unclear.
Supposedly a StarLink dishy captured by Russian forces...
Shotwell, president of SpaceX, also felt strongly that the company should stop subsidizing the Ukrainian military operation. Providing humanitarian help was fine, but private companies should not be financing a foreign country’s war. That should be left to the government, which is why the United States has a foreign military sales program that puts a layer of protection between private companies and foreign governments. Other companies, including big and profitable defense contractors, were charging billions to supply weapons to Ukraine, so it seemed unfair that Starlink, which was not yet profitable, should do it for free.“We initially gave the Ukrainians free service for humanitarian and defense purposes, such as keeping up their hospitals and banking systems,” she says. “But then they started putting them on f---ing drones trying to blow up Russian ships. I’m happy to donate services for ambulances and hospitals and mothers. That’s what companies and people should do. But it’s wrong to pay for military drone strikes.”
In the end, with Shotwell’s help, SpaceX made arrangements with various government agencies to pay for increased Starlink service in Ukraine, with the military and CIA working out the terms of service. More than 100,000 new satellite dishes were sent to Ukraine at the beginning of 2023. In addition, Starlink launched a companion service called Starshield, which was specifically designed for military use. SpaceX licensed Starshield satellites and services to the U.S. military and other agencies, allowing the government to determine how they could and should be used in Ukraine and elsewhere.
The source was CNN referencing Walter Isaacson's biography.Thank you for clarifying the facts, and glad to see Starlink was not activated in such a contentious territory.
There was an emergency request from government authorities to activate Starlink all the way to Sevastopol.The obvious intent being to sink most of the Russian fleet at anchor.If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation.
TWZ: There was the discussion over Walter Isaacson’s book excerpt and whether Musk shut off Starlink to prevent a Ukrainian attack on Sevastopol last year, or whether as he claimed he denied a request to provide it.KB: Look, [Starlink] is a private property of a private person. Yes we really very widely use his products and services. The whole of the line of contact talks to each other to some extent using his products and services. The only thing I can say here is that without those services and products it would be a catastrophe. But it is true that he did turn off his products and services over Crimea before. But there's another side to that truth. Everybody's been aware of that.TWZ: So he did turn it off?KB: This specific case everybody's referring to, there was a shutdown of the coverage over Crimea, but it wasn't at that specific moment. That shutdown was for a month. There might have been some specific cases I'm not aware of. But I'm totally sure that throughout the whole first period of the war, there was no coverage at all.TWZ: But did he ever put it on and then shut it off?KB: There have been no problems since it's been turned on over Crimea.
Article 52(2) of Additional Protocol I (API), which reflects customary international law, sets forth the definition of a military objective. To qualify as such, Starlink must by its nature, location, purpose, or use make an effective contribution to (Ukraine’s) military action and its total or partial destruction, capture, or neutralization, in the circumstances ruling at the time, must offer (Russia) a definite military advantage.In the Russia-Ukraine war context, these requirements are met: Starlink is being used to provide Ukrainian military forces with high-speed internet and communication, which effectively contributes to their military operations. For example, it has enabled interception of Russian battlefield communications, facilitated Ukrainian C2 and information operations, and assisted a Ukrainian drone unit to destroy Russian tanks. One Ukrainian soldier described Starlink as having changed the war in Ukraine’s favor. Denying Ukraine this capability would undoubtedly offer Russia a definite military advantage.
Starlink will support connectivity to internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza. [ComStar]
Your Starlink is connected in a region where Starlink service is restricted. We have been instructed by the Lebanese government to disable service until they approve your use. In compliance with this directive, your Starlink service will be disabled today [Nov 7th]. If you would like Starlink to submit your account to the Lebanese government for approval to reinstate service, please provide the following information:1. A copy of the picture ID of the local user2. The name of the local user3. A local service address where the Starlink services and kit will be used4. Phone number local user5. Email of local user6. The name and website of the entity or organization using Starlink, if applicableIn some instances, we may need to follow up with additional questions. Please note that your information may be provided to third-parties for verification and approval, such as the local telecommunication authorities.
“In 30 years of consolidation of the defense industry, there have only been three companies that have broken through at the department with a big splash. Elon Musk with @SpaceX, and by extension #Starlink, @PalantirTech with Peter Thiel, and @anduriltech with @PalmerLuckey. It should not take an iconoclastic billionaire willing to break China at the Pentagon. The department should be a lot more open to commercial off-the-shelf solutions.”
