SpaceX and the Pentagon are in an ongoing dispute over the price of Starlink satellite service used by US military suicide drones during the Iran conflict. According to Reuters, SpaceX asked the military for a significant hike in fees—up from $5,000 per connection to $25,000 per drone—resulting in an agreement that upset Pentagon officials.
Elon Musk acknowledged that the military violated Starlink’s terms of service by using it for ‘kamikaze’ attack drones, which should have been using a separate government-specific network called Starshield. He blamed the contractor responsible for building these drones.
Musk clarified that while Starlink is intended for civilian use, Starshield, with a different set of satellites, is designed for government entities engaged in military operations such as the ones in Iran. The $25,000 fee was per drone, given its one-way nature and subsequent detonation upon impact.
The incident has sparked debate on the ethical and financial implications of using commercial technology in conflict zones, with Musk’s statement hinting at a broader discussion about the dual-use nature of modern tech.
