https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2023/03/pentagon-looking-make-sure-spacex-doesnt-abandon-them-war/383837/ * [ad] [ad] [ad] Continue to the site U.S. Army squads under FORSCOM compete for the title of "Best Squad" during a head-to-head competition at the FORSCOM Best Squad Competition 2022 at Fort Hood, Texas, Aug. 17, 2022. State of the Army 2023 A sailor takes a bearing aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24) during a multinational exercise in the Baltic Sea on Aug. 3, 2022. State of the Navy 2023 U.S. Airmen assigned to the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron prepare for a B-1B Lancer assigned to the 34th EBS to take off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in support of a Bomber Task Force mission Feb. 4, 2023. State of the Air Force and Space Force 2023 U.S. Marines with III Marine Expeditionary Force Support Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, board a C-130J Super Hercules on Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, Japan, Jan. 20, 2023. State of the Marine Corps 2023 A participant in a combat training day uses a drone to spot colleagues pretending to be enemy snipers. The event was hosted by TSEL, a local paramilitary civil formation on February 22, 2023, in Ukraine's Lviv region. Come Test Your Gear Against Russian Forces, Ukrainians Urge US Defense Firms [261x157] Defense One Outlook 2023 U.S. Army squads under FORSCOM compete for the title of "Best Squad" during a head-to-head competition at the FORSCOM Best Squad Competition 2022 at Fort Hood, Texas, Aug. 17, 2022. State of the Army 2023 A sailor takes a bearing aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24) during a multinational exercise in the Baltic Sea on Aug. 3, 2022. State of the Navy 2023 U.S. Airmen assigned to the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron prepare for a B-1B Lancer assigned to the 34th EBS to take off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in support of a Bomber Task Force mission Feb. 4, 2023. State of the Air Force and Space Force 2023 U.S. Marines with III Marine Expeditionary Force Support Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, board a C-130J Super Hercules on Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, Japan, Jan. 20, 2023. State of the Marine Corps 2023 A participant in a combat training day uses a drone to spot colleagues pretending to be enemy snipers. The event was hosted by TSEL, a local paramilitary civil formation on February 22, 2023, in Ukraine's Lviv region. Come Test Your Gear Against Russian Forces, Ukrainians Urge US Defense Firms [261x157] Defense One Outlook 2023 Skip to Content * About * Newsletters * Podcast * Insights [ ] * Threats * Policy * Business * Science & Tech * SYSTEMS * Ideas * Events * Army * Navy * Marine Corps * Air Force * Space Force * About * Newsletters * Podcast * Insights * * * * * Threats * Policy * Business * Science & Tech * Services Army Navy Marine Corps Air Force Space Force * SYSTEMS * Ideas * Events * Trending * Ukraine * Defense Budget * Congress * White House * Russia * China * NATO KHERSON, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 13: Ukrainian forces set up Starlink satellite receivers to provide connection for civilians at Independence Square after the withdrawal of the Russian army from Kherson to the eastern bank of Dnieper River, Ukraine on November 13, 2022. KHERSON, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 13: Ukrainian forces set up Starlink satellite receivers to provide connection for civilians at Independence Square after the withdrawal of the Russian army from Kherson to the eastern bank of Dnieper River, Ukraine on November 13, 2022. KHERSON, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 13: Ukrainian forces set up Starlink satellite receivers to provide connection for civilians at Independence Square after the withdrawal of the Russian army from Kherson to the eastern bank of Dnieper River, Ukraine on November 13, 2022. Photo by Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Get all our news and commentary in your inbox at 6 a.m. ET. email [ ] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Science & Tech Pentagon Looking to Make Sure SpaceX Doesn't Abandon Them in War Spooked by the company's new limits in Ukraine, military leaders are mulling new types of contracts. Patrick Tucker | March 9, 2023 * Satellite Communications * Russia * Ukraine * Space Force * * * * Patrick Tucker Patrick Tucker By Patrick Tucker Science & Technology Editor, Defense One March 9, 2023 * * * * * Satellite Communications * Russia * Ukraine * Space Force A type of contract pioneered in the 1950s may help the Pentagon solve a 21st-century problem: making sure private-sector satellite operators don't cut off wartime communications. On Thursday, lawmakers and the commander of U.S. Space Command expressed concern about SpaceX's recent announcement that it would start limiting Ukraine's use of the company's Starlink constellation. "I was personally disappointed to see discontinuation of full services at such a critical time for Ukraine self-defense," Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., told Space Command's Gen. James Dickinson. "Do you feel there's a connection between the availability of this capability to our partners in Ukraine in this conflict, and relationships we have with companies like SpaceX?" Dickinson answered matter-of-factly: "Yes." The Pentagon's relationship with SpaceX has only grown since DARPA's 2005 Falcon program helped the company get off the ground. The military, already a large customer of Starlink services, is planning a vast expansion of battlefield communications that depends on cheap commercial satellite communications. At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Dickinson described the importance of commercial satellites as a key lesson of the Ukraine war. "There's no question that SpaceX's Starlink system has been used extensively by Ukraine and its response to the Russian aggression," he said. "I think this demonstrates that commercial space capabilities can play a significant role in our modern high-intensity conflicts." So what happens if SpaceX executives decides to stop supporting certain U.S. military operations in the heat of conflict, as they did with Ukraine? Dickinson said that the Pentagon needs to make sure that all sides understand their legal obligations and have a full understanding of the military's expectations before those moments occur. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't miss: "The concerns I think SpaceX representatives recently expressed about Ukraine's use of Starlink highlight the importance of shared understanding between commercial service providers and their customers and users. So these issues, in my mind, bear on contracts and all operational domains, not just specific to space," he said. Dickinson said the Pentagon is trying to figure out how to promote this shared understanding with satellite contractors--and how to enforce its provisions. "There is an initiative that is working right now within the [Defense] Department, within the Space Force, that is actually looking at what you just described there. How do we make sure, during times of conflict, that if we're relying on commercial companies for certain services that they'll be available to us?" he said. Dickinson pointed to the 1952 the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, or CRAF, program as a possible model for contracts that ensure that SpaceX and other companies don't impose their own policies on Pentagon's battle needs during times of war. Under CRAF, airlines voluntarily commit their airlift resources to Pentagon use under specific circumstances, but the Pentagon makes the decisions and has authority on how to use the aircraft. In virtually any contract negotiation with the Pentagon, SpaceX would have considerable leverage. The company accounted for a large portion of the rockets launched from the United States last year. And Dickinson expressed deep worry about the pace of China's launches. "In 2022, last year, there were 186 space launches. Of those, 64 were Chinese. The [United States] was 87," he said--including 61 by SpaceX. Most Americans probably aren't aware of how quickly the Chinese space program is maturing, or how many space-based capabilities, such as navigation, intelligence collection, etc., China now has in orbit. "They have accurate position navigation and timing capabilities worldwide. If you look at the number, just the sheer number, of satellites that are in orbit and what their intended use is, everything from ISR satellites, to communication satellites to [position, navigation, and timing] satellites," he said. "We are still the best in space but what we need to make sure is that that gap does not close." 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Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a wreath laying ceremony marking the anniversary of the Siege of Leningrad (1941-1944) at the Piskaryovskoye memorial cemeteryon January 18, 2023, in Saint Petersburg Russia One Year On, Why Putin Has Already Lost the War Special Report Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, shown during a 2021 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, believes that the 2023 defense policy bill will close important loopholes in the military's handling of sexual assault cases. After a Spike in Sexual Assaults on Troops, Is Real Change on the Way? [261x157] Defense One eBook: Connect Everything JADC2 & Networks X This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. 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