For a long time, control via satellite (BLOS, beyond line of sight) was reserved for large MALE/HALE drones with a heavy, expensive dish and a delay of more than half a second. SpaceX's Starlink changed that: a flat terminal weighing just over a kilogram gives a drone, boat or ground station low-latency broadband anywhere. Since 2022, small sea and attack drones have therefore also been flying beyond the radio horizon — and access to a single commercial network has become a military factor.
How it works
Starlink is a low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation: thousands of satellites at an altitude of about 550 km, which pass traffic between them over laser links. The terminal is a phased-array antenna that tracks the passing satellites electronically; no pointing is needed. Because the satellites fly so low, the delay is tens of milliseconds instead of the more than 500 ms of a geostationary satellite at 36,000 km — fast enough for live video and control.
| Characteristic | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Constellation | ± 11,100 satellites in orbit (Oct. 2026) | Grows by dozens per launch; counts differ between sources |
| Orbit | Shells around 550 km; inclination 43–97° (most at 53°) | Orbital period ± 95 minutes |
| User link | Ku band: downlink 10.7–12.7 GHz · uplink 14.0–14.5 GHz | According to the licences (FCC) |
| Gateways | Ka band (17.8–19.3 / 27.5–30 GHz); newer ones also E band (71–76 / 81–86 GHz) | Ground stations connecting the network to the internet |
| Between satellites | Optical laser links | Traffic can travel long distances without a ground station nearby |
| Latency | SpaceX goal: 20 ms median · measured median ± 30–50 ms | Depends on region and load |
| Standard terminal | 594 × 383 × 38 mm · ± 2.9 kg · 75–100 W · 110° field of view | Dimensions according to distributors |
| Mini terminal | 298.5 × 259 × 38.5 mm · 1.10 kg · 25–40 W average · IP67 · 110° field of view | According to Starlink; fits on a drone or in a backpack |
Why it changed drones
- Ukraine, from 2022. Starlink kept command posts and communications running. In September 2022 a Ukrainian sea drone with a Starlink terminal washed up near Sevastopol; at the end of October 2022 seven such drones attacked the naval base. In early 2023 SpaceX restricted use for offensive drones.
- Russia, from 2024. Russian units obtained terminals through intermediaries (including via Dubai) and fitted them to attack drones: in September 2024 Ukrainian sources reported a downed Geran-2 carrying Starlink. Such a link gives a drone range beyond the radio horizon and makes it less sensitive to jamming of its radio link.
Access control as a weapon
Whoever runs the network decides who may use it — and in this war that has happened more than once:
| When | Measure | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 2026 | Ukraine introduces mandatory registration of terminals (a whitelist); SpaceX disconnects unregistered terminals in Ukraine | Russian units lose their Starlink links; according to Ukrainian sources this opened gaps in their communications |
| 14 Oct. 2026 | Ukrainian terminals reportedly stop working above ± 160 km/h | Interceptor drones against jet-powered Shaheds can no longer use Starlink; according to Zelenskyy (17 Oct.) the link drops ± two minutes after reaching 161 km/h |
Those involved contradict each other about the speed limit. Musk says Starshield systems are owned by the US government, which sets the limits; Secretary Rubio says the US did not order the restriction and that it has been lifted; sources at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence say SpaceX imposed it unilaterally. As of late October 2026 this has not been independently confirmed.
A speed limit is a simple, effective measure against misuse on drones — but it also hits friendly interceptors. Dependence on a single commercial supplier is therefore an operational risk in itself.
Starshield: the government version
Starshield is the service SpaceX announced for governments at the end of 2022: the same technology (satellite buses, laser links, terminals), with extra security and dedicated satellites for military and intelligence tasks. What is public:
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Dec. 2022 | Starshield announced |
| Sep. 2023 | First Space Force contract for Starshield services (one year, 54 "mission partners") |
| 22 May 2024 | First launch (NROL-146) of the NRO Proliferated Architecture: reconnaissance satellites on Starshield buses, built with Northrop Grumman ($1.8 bn contract); hundreds of satellites launched since |
| 2025 | MILNET: a military data network of reportedly ± 480 satellites, paid for by the Space Force and overseen by the NRO |
| May 2026 | Space Data Network Backbone: a $2.29 bn Space Force contract for hundreds of LEO satellites as a military data network (linked to Golden Dome); prototype by the end of 2027 |
| Oct. 2026 | Musk: the Ukrainian military uses Starshield, not Starlink; Rubio: Starshield is "not at this moment available to Ukraine" — contradictory |
Unknown (open source): the number of satellites per programme, sensor and link performance, encryption and anti-jam measures, terminal types and the conditions for partners. Most Starshield spending is classified.
Vulnerabilities and countermeasures
- Jamming: the link can be jammed locally. Russia uses systems such as the Peresvet-M, which according to Ukrainian sources deny Starlink around a site (± 20 km²). Phased-array antennas and rapidly changing satellites make jamming over large areas difficult — see EW Academy § 21.5.
- Detection: a terminal transmits upwards in a narrow beam and is harder to direction-find from the ground than an ordinary drone radio — but not invisible, and the flat antenna is visually recognisable.
- Physical target: terminals at positions and on vehicles are attacked with drones (footage since 2024), and so are the Starlink jammers themselves.
- Access: the biggest vulnerability lies not in the technology but in its management — a whitelist, geofence or speed limit hits every user at once.
Indicators: a flat Starlink antenna (the Mini is ± 30 × 26 cm) on wreckage; a small platform operating far beyond the radio horizon, or carrying on after its radio link is broken; behaviour that coincides with access measures (Feb. and Oct. 2026). Separate claims by governments, SpaceX and Musk from independently confirmed facts. Specifications and current news are on the Starlink / Starshield card.