(MENAFN) According to a report by Bloomberg, the Pentagon's contract for the deployment of Elon Musk's Starlink terminals in Ukraine is set to expire next month. Citing an unnamed United States official, the report indicates that the service provided by Starlink plays a crucial role in Washington's security assistance to Kiev.
The contract, which came into effect in June of the previous year and is scheduled to last until May, has been valued at USD23 million, as per the same report. Although the United States Department of Defense has not officially disclosed the contract's size, Bloomberg describes it as "miniscule" in comparison to the substantial sums Musk's SpaceX has received from the United States government for launching national security satellites.
Elon Musk has expressed reservations about the utilization of Starlink in Ukraine, particularly in military operations. In September, Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to assert that Starlink should function primarily as a civilian network, rather than being directly involved in combat operations. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the satellite network's civilian nature, despite its role in providing communications to Ukraine's military and government.
Musk's stance on the use of Starlink in Ukraine gained attention after he disclosed thwarting a Ukrainian drone raid on Crimea by denying Kiev forces access to Starlink for guiding naval drone strikes on Russian ships. This revelation sparked controversy in Kiev, with a top adviser to President Vladimir Zelensky, Mikhail Podoliak, accusing Musk of "enabling evil."
The impending expiration of the Pentagon's contract for Starlink in Ukraine raises questions about the future of the satellite network's involvement in the region's security landscape. As geopolitical tensions persist, the role of technology providers like Musk's SpaceX in global conflicts continues to be scrutinized, highlighting the complex intersection of technology, diplomacy, and military strategy.
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