Britain has spent nearly $40 million on satellite services from SpaceX, deepening its reliance on 
Elon Musk's company for military communications. The figures, released to Reuters in response to a freedom of information request, make Britain the first country outside the U.S. to publicly acknowledge adopting Starshield, SpaceX's service for military and intelligence missions, CNA reported. The disclosure comes as European governments seek to bolster their own defence capabilities amid concerns over Washington's long-term commitment to the continent's security.
What has Britain bought? Britain's defence ministry said it has about 1,000 Starshield terminals and 500 Starlink terminals, and has spent about £13 million ($17.6 million) on Starshield, including terminals and airtime, and £16.5 million on Starlink. The ministry began using Starlink in mid-2022, started using Starshield airtime with existing Starlink terminals in 2024 and bought its first dedicated Starshield terminals last year. Britain also has its own military satellite network, Skynet, and is a shareholder in France-based Eutelsat.
Why did the ministry adopt Starshield? The ministry, which said it moved after SpaceX mandated that Starlink only be used for morale, welfare, recreation and training purposes, said Starshield offers "enhanced encryption, military-specific terms of service, the highest level of network prioritisation, flexible licensing arrangements, and expanded coverage." For the UK, the service uses the same satellite constellation, ground stations and terrestrial infrastructure as Starlink but runs through dedicated terminals and separate ground-based network gateways.
How do the costs compare? Two Starshield plans are available in Britain, at £5,500 a month for five terabytes of data and £25,000 a month for unlimited use, the ministry's pricing information shows. UK Starlink business customers, by comparison, can pay £1,830 a month for two terabytes of global data. A person familiar with the matter put Starshield terminals at between £4,000 and £7,000 each, at least double the advertised price of business-grade Starlink terminals, CNA reported.
Who else is using the service? New Zealand is trialling Starshield "to investigate its usefulness" in supporting military operations, a New Zealand Defence Force spokesperson told Reuters. In its most recent quarterly results, SpaceX said the U.S. government had awarded more than $6 billion in multi-year Starshield contracts, primarily through two U.S. Space Force programmes. Musk has said Starlink is intended for civilian use, while Starshield is marketed to government and national security customers. SpaceX did not respond to questions, including which countries have access to Starshield.
Figures referenced: Elon Musk. — JudgeMarket.
