Ukraine’s drones lose their Starlink link above 100 mph. Musk, Rubio and Trump all say it wasn’t them
Source: Fortune ·
Kyiv says a sudden SpaceX speed limit is knocking out interceptor drones it needs against Russia’s jet-powered Shaheds. Musk, the White House, and Trump all say it wasn’t them.
From the source
Speed of communication has been essential on the battlefield for as long as humans have waged war. From the legendary roughly 25-mile messenger’s run to announce an Athenian victory at Marathon, to war drums and carrier pigeons, to the telegraph, and right up to today’s militaries’ reliance on high-speed digital links, rapid information transmission is imperative for military success. The speed of a weapons system is essential, too. That’s why a sudden loss of satellite connectivity for Ukrainian drones and vehicles moving faster than 100 miles per hour earlier this month represented a major blow to the country’s fight against Russia. A speed cap, without warning Overnight from Oct. 13 to Oct. 14, Ukrainian military users found that satellite-connected hardware traveling faster than 100 mph (160 km/h) lost its connection, according to Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, a defense technology adviser to Ukraine’s president. Some units reported problems at even lower speeds: Ukraine’s 7th Rapid…