SpaceX has secured a contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to provide Starlink satellite communications terminals and services for Ukraine’s military, Bloomberg reported Thursday.
The Pentagon will likely acquire the satcom terminals through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
“We continue to work with a range of global partners to ensure Ukraine has the resilient satellite and communication capabilities they need,” DOD said in a statement Thursday. “Satellite communications constitute a vital layer in Ukraine’s overall communications network and the department contracts with Starlink for services of this type.”
The department declined to divulge information on the value of the contract.
“However, for operational security reasons and due to the critical nature of these systems, we do not have additional information regarding specific capabilities, contracts, or partners to provide at this time,” the Pentagon said.
In February, Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX and a four-time Wash100 awardee, said Starlink was “never intended to be weaponized” and that the company moved to initiate steps to limit Ukraine’s use of the satellite internet network for military purposes.
