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This is how Ukraine uses the Starlink network for military drones

2 years ago babelfish

This is how Ukraine uses the Starlink network for military drones

SpaceX's Starlink satellite system not only guarantees internet connection in Ukraine, but allows teams flying the drones to work even in the event of a power outage. All the details

Elon Musk's Starlink supports Ukraine in the drone war.

Last month, SpaceX CEO Musk sent Starlink terminals to Ukraine at the request of Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who said broadband Internet service "keeps our cities connected and emergency services save lives" in case of interruptions.

But the connection guaranteed by the Starlink satellite constellation also plays a military role.

The Ukrainian Army's Aerorozvidka Specialized Air Reconnaissance Unit operates modified drones with thermal cameras to view Russian military vehicles. The drones are equipped with anti-tank grenades that are thrown at the target. As reported by the London Times . "If we use a thermal vision drone at night, the drone must connect via Starlink to the artillery officer and allow target acquisition," an Aerorozvidka leader told the Times of London.

SpaceX has so far sent "thousands" of Starlink satellite Internet kits to Ukraine, US aerospace company president Gwynne Shotwell told CNBC on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Starlink became the most downloaded app in Ukraine on Sunday, and more than 100,000 people in the country are using SpaceX's network connection. But its usefulness to the military is also becoming increasingly evident, the Telegraph points out.

All the details.

MUSK ANSWERED THE UKRAINE'S REQUEST

In the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 26, Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, asked Musk on Twitter to send Starlink terminals to the country.

Musk granted the request. Ukraine has received at least four shipments of Starlink terminals since March 1, according to Fedorov's tweets.

The Ukrainian official last tweeted about a new batch of Starlink terminals arriving in the country on Saturday. Ukraine has also received Internet antennas from European allies, Fedorov told the Washington Post in an interview Friday. "The quality of the link is excellent," Fedorov told the Washington Post . "We are using thousands of terminals with new shipments arriving every other day."

THE STARLINK INTERNET SYSTEM

Elon Musk's space company then sent out the Starlink satellite kits – which come with an antenna, mounting tripod, and Wi-Fi router. Ukrainians can use Starlink kits to connect directly to the SpaceX network in orbit.

To date, SpaceX has more than 2,000 Starlink satellites in orbit , covering 25 countries and over 145,000 users worldwide. These satellites guarantee access to the internet globally regardless of terrestrial connections. To connect, people need a specific Starlink terminal, a sort of router that receives data sent by satellites, different from traditional signals from ground stations.

AT THE SERVICE OF UKRAINIAN DRONES

But the Starlink satellite network does not only guarantee Internet connection to the Ukrainian people.

The Starlink system is supporting the Ukrainian army that pilots drones even in the event of Internet or power outages, frequent in Ukraine hit by the Russian military offensive.

“Drone teams in the field, sometimes in poorly connected rural areas, are able to use Starlink to link them to targets and intelligence on their battlefield database. They can direct drones to drop anti-tank ammunition, sometimes flying silently to Russian forces at night while they sleep in their vehicles, ”explains the Telegraph .

THE RUSSIAN POSITION

But Moscow has made it clear through the words of Dmitry Rogozin, general manager of Roscosmos (the Russian space agency) that it is aware of Musk's donation. Considered by Rogozin as a hostile act.

At the beginning of March, the head of Roscosmos said : “This is the West we should never trust. When Russia implements its highest national interests on the territory of Ukraine, Elon Musk appears with his Starlink which was previously declared as purely civilian ”.

AND THAT OF MUSK

Meanwhile, Musk warned on March 4 that satellite signals could turn Ukrainians into targets.

"Important warning: Starlink is the only non-Russian communications system still functioning in parts of Ukraine, so the likelihood of being targeted is high," Musk tweeted earlier this month. "Please use with caution."

Finally, Musk spared no effort on Twitter from provoking Russian officials and Kremlin allies. The latest provocation dates back to March 14: “I challenge Vladimir Putin to a single martial arts fight. The stake is Ukraine ”.

This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/ecco-come-lucraina-sfrutta-la-rete-starlink-per-i-droni-militari/ on Wed, 23 Mar 2022 14:33:06 +0000.