US military has reportedly been forced to accept higher Starlink costs to operate kamikaze drones
Elon Musk’s SpaceX pressured the Pentagon into paying higher rates for Starlink satellite connectivity used by US kamikaze drones during the Iran war, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
The dispute reportedly centered on the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), a cheap loitering munition used by the US military. According to Reuters, SpaceX argued that the military had been paying about $5,000 for connection per terminal while effectively using a higher-tier service priced at $25,000 per month.
In March, Musk tweeted that the use of Starlink in weapon systems violated the company’s terms of service, adding that military operators should instead use Starshield, a separate network designed for government use.
It is a violation of commercial Starlink terms of service to use the terminal for weapon systems. This applies to all users and is shut down when discovered.There is a separate network called Starshield, which is operated by the US government. This is not under SpaceX control.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 2, 2026
In practice, however, the systems remain closely intertwined, with Starshield relying on the broader Starlink network of roughly 10,000 low-Earth-orbit satellites, according to Reuters.
While the Pentagon denied breaching its agreement with SpaceX, Reuters reported that company executives later pressed officials to pay higher rates for the service. The Pentagon ultimately agreed, nearly doubling the original $30,000 price tag for each LUCAS drone.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: rt.com
