SpaceX has increased the price of Starlink for the Pentagon by five times
SpaceX has increased the cost of Starlink access for kamikaze drones for the Pentagon fivefold—from $5,000 to $25,000 per terminal. This came after the U.S. began deploying strike drones in the war against Iran.
Reuters reports this, citing Pentagon documents and its own sources.
The dispute between SpaceX and the military arose over the use of the Starlink system on LUCAS drones—low-cost strike drones whose specifications resemble those of Iranian Shahed drones.
According to the agency, the Pentagon initially opposed the new rates, arguing that Starlink’s aviation rates should not apply to kamikaze drones, as the drones use the connection only for a short time—from a few minutes to a few hours.
However, the U.S. military eventually agreed to SpaceX’s new terms.
As a result, the cost of a single LUCAS drone nearly doubled; prior to the price increase, its cost was approximately $30,000.
Reuters notes that the conflict over Starlink rates is part of a broader tension between SpaceX and the Pentagon.
Some disputes concern the cost of direct satellite phone connections in Iran via Starlink and the use of the service to bypass communication blocks imposed by the Iranian government.
The U.S. viewed this technology as one way to assist Iranian citizens during internet restrictions.
Against the backdrop of military conflicts and the active use of satellite communications, the Pentagon’s dependence on SpaceX continues to grow, while Elon Musk’s company is strengthening its position in the realm of U.S. national security.
Recently, the American company SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket, which placed another batch of 24 Starlink internet satellites into Earth orbit.
SpaceX earned $8 billion last year.
