SpaceNews
spacenews.com › home › pentagon’s commercial satellite internet services program soars to $13 billion
Pentagon’s commercial satellite internet services program soars to $13 billion - SpaceNews
October 29, 2024 - This resilience, designed for the consumer market, has become a valuable asset in military operations, where obstructions, interference, or even adversarial impacts can challenge connectivity. He said Starlink’s capacity to automatically reconnect with new satellites in case of interruptions has bolstered its military appeal. DISA structured the PLEO contract to accommodate technological upgrades, a feature Seybert highlighted as “hugely important.” The flexibility to incorporate new capabilities as they become available, he said, enables the Pentagon to keep pace with commercial innovation.
Quilty Space
quiltyspace.com › post › breaking-down-the-dod-s-13-billion-pleo-play
Breaking Down the DoD’s $13-Billion pLEO Play
November 18, 2024 - To clarify, the pLEO IDIQ would cover task orders for satcom services on the Starlink network, branded by the military as “Starshield.” This is distinct from the government-owned and operated satellites such as those that are now a part of the proliferated constellation that the NRO is deploying under a separate not-so-secret $1.8 billion-dollar deal with SpaceX.
Pentagon embracing SpaceX’s Starshield for future military satcom
A ton of really interesting details in this. Here's a few: Col. Eric Felt, director of space architecture at the office of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration, said the plan is to acquire a constellation of Starshield satellites by 2029, contingent upon receiving the necessary funding appropriations from Congress. Speaking at SAE Media Group’s Milsatcom USA conference on June 10, Felt noted that the military has been an avid consumer of SpaceX’s commercial Starlink services, but also wants to take advantage of the company’s dedicated Starshield product line and procure a government-owned constellation. In a briefing slide presented at the conference, titled “Satcom 2029,” Felt showed the DoD’s notional future satcom architecture including more than 100 Starshield satellites. “We are burning through our procurement contract ceiling really quickly,” Hopper said, referring to the $900 million, 10-year IDIQ agreement for proliferated LEO satellite services her office and the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) established just a year ago with 20 vendors including SpaceX. “In fact, by this time next year, we expect $500 million of that ceiling to be consumed,” she said at the Milsatcom USA conference. “So we are working with DISA right now to increase that ceiling well into the billions. We do view this contract as being a workhorse, and the demand for it is off the charts.” The satellite internet service Hopper’s office procures today from SpaceX is currently branded as Starshield although it utilizes SpaceX’s commercial Starlink satellite constellation, and not a dedicated military Starshield system. “All of our users are on the commercial Starlink constellation,” Hopper explained. DoD has “unique service plans that contain privileged capabilities and features that are not available commercially.” The satellite internet service Hopper’s office procures today from SpaceX is currently branded as Starshield although it utilizes SpaceX’s commercial Starlink satellite constellation, and not a dedicated military Starshield system. “All of our users are on the commercial Starlink constellation,” Hopper explained. DoD has “unique service plans that contain privileged capabilities and features that are not available commercially.” More on reddit.com
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June 12, 2024The US Navy Is Going All In on Starlink
Won’t they be using starshield? I thought that was supposed to be for the military. More on reddit.com
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September 3, 2024What's actually bad about starlink?
Has location requirements most services don't Expensive up front costs. Expensive monthly cost relative to bandwidth. Inconsistent performance. You actually have to mount something, usually on your roof. That said - it's the best option by far if you don't have decent land based alternatives. More on reddit.com
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August 19, 2023Factsheet
Company type Division
Industry Telecommunications
Founded January 2015; 11 years ago (2015-01)
Company type Division
Industry Telecommunications
Founded January 2015; 11 years ago (2015-01)
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Starlink
Starlink - Wikipedia
2 hours ago - In December 2022, SpaceX announced Starshield, a separate Starlink service designed for government entities and military agencies. Starshield enables the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to own or lease Starshield satellites for partners and allies.
PCMAG
pcmag.com › home › news › networking
Pentagon's Huge Satellite Spending Boost Could Mean Funding Windfall for Starlink | PCMag
November 4, 2024 - Should they choose, all military branches now have the option to prioritize more of their current budget to pLEO services as they balance their budgets and optimize their mission plans for maximum effectiveness in defense of the nation,” said Anthony Smith, the Pentagon’s Acting Deputy CIO for Command, Control, and Communications. ... The increased budget will likely send billions to SpaceX’s Starshield, which uses the company’s Starlink technology to provide internet access to governments, including the US military.
Reuters
reuters.com › business › aerospace-defense › pentagon-buys-starlink-ukraine-statement-2023-06-01
SpaceX's Starlink wins Pentagon contract for satellite services to Ukraine | Reuters
June 1, 2023 - SpaceX, through private donations and under a separate contract with a U.S. foreign aid agency, has been providing Ukrainians and the country's military with Starlink internet service, a fast-growing network of more than 4,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, since the beginning of the war in 2022. The Pentagon contract is a boon for SpaceX after Musk, the company's CEO, said in October it could not afford to indefinitely fund Starlink in Ukraine, an effort he said cost $20 million a month to maintain.
DefenseScoop
defensescoop.com › home › pentagon contracting with spacex’s starlink to provide satellite communication capabilities for ukraine
Pentagon contracting with SpaceX's Starlink to provide satellite communication capabilities for Ukraine | DefenseScoop
June 1, 2023 - The Pentagon is buying satellite communication capabilities from SpaceX’s Starlink to aid the Ukrainian military in its war with Russia, DefenseScoop has learned.
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren
warren.senate.gov › imo › media › doc › warren_oversight_letter_to_dod_on_starlink_proliferation.pdf pdf
Warren Oversight Letter to DoD on Starlink Proliferation
April 9, 2024 - and sustained by a key DoD contractor. The Department of Defense (DoD), which has a $23 · million contract with SpaceX to provide its services to the U.S. and its allies,3 must act to · prevent the misuse of Starlink technology by sanctioned military and paramilitary forces.
Ars Technica
arstechnica.com › space › 2026 › 04 › pentagon-pulls-the-plug-on-one-of-the-militarys-most-troubled-space-programs
Pentagon pulls the plug on one of the military's most troubled space programs - Ars Technica
April 21, 2026 - This number includes direct funding to Raytheon and other expenses, such as the cost of government testing and administrative costs. The experience with OCX runs counter to the Space Force’s recent emphasis on faster deliveries and commercial partnerships. “It’s important we refine and update acquisition processes to prioritize rapid, incremental capability delivery versus complex ‘all or nothing’ system deliveries,” said Tom Ainsworth, assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration. The Pentagon nearly canceled OCX after its development exceeded cost and schedule targets in 2016, but officials decided to proceed with OCX after restructuring the program. At the time, the Government Accountability Office blamed the OCX woes on “poor acquisition decisions” and a “persistently high software development defect rate.” ...
CNBC
cnbc.com › 2026 › 05 › 26 › pentagon-spars-with-spacex-over-starlink-price-hike-during-iran-war.html
Pentagon spars with SpaceX over Starlink price hike during Iran war: Reuters
2 weeks ago - The Pentagon, which is seeking to help Iranian citizens bypass government-imposed communications blackouts, has also been at odds with SpaceX over pricing for a plan to provide the populace direct-to-cell connections with Starlink akin to 5G service, two of the sources said. The ongoing disputes, which have not previously been reported, underscore how the Pentagon's growing reliance on SpaceX is handing Musk greater leverage over a critical layer of U.S. national security — at a time when SpaceX is seeking to boost revenue ahead of an IPO next month that could be among the biggest in history. Unlike consumer Starlink terminals available at stores including Walmart, SpaceX sells a military-specific version called Starshield to the Pentagon under a 2023 agreement. Starshield terminals can connect to both commercial Starlink satellites and a separate, more secure constellation, also called Starshield, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/starlink › pentagon embracing spacex’s starshield for future military satcom
r/Starlink on Reddit: Pentagon embracing SpaceX’s Starshield for future military satcom
June 12, 2024 - Eric Felt, director of space architecture at the office of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration, said the plan is to acquire a constellation of Starshield satellites by 2029, contingent upon receiving the necessary funding appropriations from Congress. Speaking at SAE Media Group’s Milsatcom USA conference on June 10, Felt noted that the military has been an avid consumer of SpaceX’s commercial Starlink services, but also wants to take advantage of the company’s dedicated Starshield product line and procure a government-owned constellation. In a briefing slide presented at the conference, titled “Satcom 2029,” Felt showed the DoD’s notional future satcom architecture including more than 100 Starshield satellites.
BankInfoSecurity
bankinfosecurity.com › pentagon-to-pay-starlink-for-ukraines-satellite-broadband-a-22220
Pentagon to Pay Starlink for Ukraine's Satellite Broadband
Since Russia launched an all-out invasion of its European neighbor in February 2022, Ukraine's government and military have relied on Starlink to stay connected. The satellite system's bandwidth underpins critical military communications, including the military's use of drones to identify Russian targets and guide artillery strikes. The Pentagon announced the new contract with SpaceX on Thursday.
Defense One
defenseone.com › defense-systems › 2024 › 05 › why-dods-network-agency-satcom-curious › 396534
Why DOD’s network agency is SATCOM-curious - Defense One
May 13, 2024 - DISA is experimenting with Starlink, Amazon, and the Navy to see how to “embed” PLEO into DOD’s network, Strauss said, stressing that the agency is not locked in with any one vendor.
Reuters
reuters.com › business › aerospace-defense › pentagon-spars-with-spacex-over-starlink-price-hike-during-iran-war-2026-05-26
Exclusive: Pentagon spars with SpaceX over Starlink price hike during Iran war | Reuters
2 weeks ago - The Pentagon, which is seeking to help Iranian citizens bypass government-imposed communications blackouts, has also been at odds with SpaceX over pricing for a plan to provide the populace direct-to-cell connections with Starlink akin to 5G service, two of the sources said. The ongoing disputes, which have not previously been reported, underscore how the Pentagon’s growing reliance on SpaceX is handing Musk greater leverage over a critical layer of U.S. national security – at a time when SpaceX is seeking to boost revenue ahead of an IPO next month that could be among the biggest in history. Unlike consumer Starlink terminals available at stores including Walmart, SpaceX sells a military-specific version called Starshield to the Pentagon under a 2023 agreement. Starshield terminals can connect to both commercial Starlink satellites and a separate, more secure constellation, also called Starshield, according to a person familiar with the matter.
DefenseScoop
defensescoop.com › home › starlink terminals give navy ‘game-changing’ flexibility
Starlink terminals give Navy ‘game-changing’ flexibility | DefenseScoop
April 11, 2024 - These new technologies also enable forces to operate in a more dispersed manner — something that is expected against sophisticated adversaries across vast distances in the Pacific — while still maintaining connectivity. Navy officials said the Starlink capability will contribute to and enable its distributed maritime operations concept. ... The tech will support a global Navy presence through modernized, flexible and durable networks aligned to Joint All-Domain Command and Control priorities, the two officials said, referring to the Pentagon’s vision for how systems across the entire battlespace from all military services and key international partners could be more effectively and holistically connected to provide the right data to commanders for better and faster decision-making.
Military Times
militarytimes.com › news › pentagon-congress › 2026 › 05 › 28 › us-troops-are-reportedly-being-targeted-using-location-data-pentagon-says
US troops are reportedly being targeted using location data, Pentagon says
2 weeks ago - forces had been targeted in an active war zone, Wyden and a bipartisan group of legislators said in a letter sent on Thursday to the Pentagon. “Commercial location data can be used to identify where U.S. troops congregate and their pattern of life, which can be exploited by adversaries to target attacks such as missiles, drones, and roadside bombs, as well as for counterintelligence purposes,” the letter warned. Wyden said in a statement that it was time to “start treating the adtech industry as a national security threat.” · The Pentagon did not return messages seeking comment. The lawmakers said in their letter that their efforts to obtain more information from military officials about the reported targeting had been unsuccessful. Location data is widely used in digital advertising, which is a key source of revenue for many tech companies.
WIRED
wired.com › business › elon musk › the us navy is going all in on starlink
The US Navy Is Going All In on Starlink | WIRED
September 3, 2024 - The resulting SEA2 system, dubbed the Satellite Terminal (transportable) Non-Geostationary (STtNG), allows a warship’s tactical feeds secure access to low-orbit satellites with a median connection speed of 30 to 50 megabits per second, according to NAVWAR. With the installation of additional Starlink antennas, the system can scale up to speeds of 1 gigabit per second. NAVWAR said that it scrubbed its initial press release, which showed the installation of a Starlink terminal aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, from the Pentagon’s Defense Visual Information Distribution System (DVIDS) media portal to “address inaccuracies and ensure the information is correct,” Elisha Gamboa, a command spokesperson, told WIRED in a statement.