Free Republic

Military-grade system appeared to be working more normally on Thursday, soon after the call WASHINGTON—President Trump called Elon Musk on Wednesday and asked him to lift restrictions on a military-grade version of Starlink in Ukraine that the SpaceX chief had throttled, U.S. officials said. The system was working more normally Thursday, shortly after their conversation, U.S. and Ukrainian officials said. Some Ukrainian officials said the system wasn’t restored to full functionality but was working at higher speeds than under the cap. Trump told Musk said he was frustrated the system’s speeds remained capped at around 100 miles an hour, officials...

There are, as best I can fathom, three possible options for what you are about to read from Texas Senator John Cornyn. The outgoing senator sent this public statement via his X Account:[SOURCE]It is the official position of the United States government that Ukraine has never had access to the “Starshield” global satellite system used by the United States military for communication and global guidance targeting. Giving Ukraine access to Starshield would be akin to the United States operating missile and drone targeting of nuclear armed Russia.For obvious reasons the U.S. government would not want to escalate to direct military...

Again, there are multiple dynamics unfolding inside this story. However, as to the central component of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy complaining about hampered access to Starlink and/or Starshield, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sets the record straight. Ukraine has never had access to the U.S. military version of Starshield; providing that level of guidance access would be akin to the United States being in direct conflict with Russia using a proprietary U.S. military system. This is not our circus and not our war; there is no need for U.S. military conflict with Russia.

Britain has spent nearly $40 million on SpaceX (SPCX.O), opens new tab satellite services, deepening its reliance on Elon Musk's company for military communications despite growing European concerns about dependence on U.S. ​security infrastructure. The spending was disclosed to Reuters in response to a freedom of information request and makes Britain the first country outside the ‌U.S. to publicly acknowledge adopting Starshield, SpaceX's service for military and intelligence missions. Starlink is marketed to consumer and commercial users. Britain's defence ministry said it has about 1,000 Starshield terminals and 500 Starlink terminals. It has spent about £13 million ($17.6 million) on...

“Golden Dome” could cost taxpayers $1.2 trillion over 20 years, according to a government report issued on Tuesday. ...Even if the system is built, the report concluded, an adversary like Russia or China that has a large arsenal of nuclear weapons could overwhelm it and some missiles would hit their targets. The budget office report found that the “space-based interceptors” the president envisions — satellites armed with missiles orbiting the planet — would consume about 60 percent of the cost.

The Russian invasion force is in disarray following the deactivation of its Starlink satellite communications. Meanwhile Ukrainians are rushing to get their terminals whitelisted to maintain the service. Both sides have made extensive use of the commercial Starlink service, which provides long-range, jam-resistant communication. Now the service operated by SpaceX is being denied to the Russians, and only terminals officially registered in Ukraine will work. “The Starlink terminals added to the ‘whitelist’ are working. The Russians’ terminals have already been blocked,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in a statement on Thursday, The effect on the Russians has been catastrophic,...

<p>FORT MCCOY, Wis. – Many things can cripple a military. One is the inability to adapt and integrate new technology and remain competitive on the battlefield, and the other is the loss of communication between personnel, military systems, and allies. U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers assigned to the 324th Expeditionary Signal Battalion (ESB), Bravo Company, are working to ensure that the Army continues to move into the future by utilizing new and better technology with their use of SpaceX’s laser-operated Starshield communications system.</p>

Italy is reportedly close to sealing a €1.5 billion (£1.25 billion) deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX that would provide the country’s government with secure telecommunications. Giorgia Meloni’s government is in advanced talks with the billionaire tech entrepreneur and, according to Bloomberg news, a deal has already been approved by Italy’s ministry and intelligence services. Ms Meloni has built a close relationship with the Tesla billionaire, describing him last week as a “genius” who had been wrongly presented as a “monster” because of his support for Donald Trump. On Monday, the Italian prime minister sought to play down speculation about an...