Pentagon tests Starlink satellites in case of conflict with Russia and China in the Arctic
Bloomberg reported that SpaceX’s Starlink satellites have successfully completed a nine-month test for the US Department of Defense in the Arctic. The training ended in June.
Starlink has proven to be “a reliable and high-performance communications system in the Arctic, including mobile applications,” said Brian Beal, chief engineer of the US Air Force Research Laboratory’s Integrated Capabilities Directorate. He clarified that the tests were conducted in very strong winds and extremely low temperatures.
According to media reports, Elon Musk’s satellites will be useful to the United States in the event of a confrontation with Russia and China, which are “trying to expand their influence in the Arctic,” as the harsh climate and remoteness of the region limit the ability to communicate via existing military satellites.
“This is good news. We need faster and additional layers of communication to strengthen strategic deterrence,” said Leonor Tomero, vice president of JA Green and former first deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and missile deterrence.
Today, SpaceX has 233 satellites in polar orbit, said Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
