Key facts
- Starshield is a US government-owned and controlled system, according to Elon Musk.
- The US military and president decide on speed or usage limits for Starshield.
- Starshield utilizes the Starlink constellation as its backbone.
- The Pentagon is Starshield's largest customer.
- Britain uses Starshield with dedicated terminals and separate network gateways.
- New Zealand is trialing Starshield for military operations.
Ukraine reported on Wednesday that SpaceX had restricted its "military-grade" Starlink services, hindering Ukrainian drone strike missions and air defenses. Elon Musk stated on X that Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government, with any usage limits decided by the US military or the president. He clarified that Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX, limited to civilian or defensive activities. Starlink, SpaceX's primary profit engine, comprises over 11,000 satellites providing broadband service to approximately 13 million subscribers. Starshield, a separate business unit, develops military and intelligence satellite systems for the Pentagon, leveraging Starlink's technology and constellation as its backbone. The Pentagon is Starshield's largest customer, having spent billions on both services. Britain also uses Starshield, operating through dedicated terminals and separate network gateways, while New Zealand is trialing the system.