The Ukrainian military’s use of Starlink’s satellite internet service is a great showcase for SpaceX and its big boss, Elon Musk. Can this new technology, which is not within the reach of all States, permanently redefine the way of waging war?
Surely, without Starlink, the war in Ukraine would have a completely different face. Since the destruction of cellular telephone and Internet infrastructure on the front line and the jamming of GPS signals by the Russian army, the constellation of satellites of the American company SpaceX allows the Ukrainian army to maintain essential connectivity to Internet. And this, both to organize his defense and to coordinate his counter-offensive.
From day one of the Russian invasion, Volodymyr Omelyan, who served as Ukraine’s infrastructure minister from 2016 to 2019, took up arms. “It was natural for me to enlist in the Ukrainian army to defend my homeland,” he explains from kyiv, where he is resting.
Without hesitation, the one who was promoted to captain of his unit says that the resistance of the Ukrainian army would not be the same without Starlink. “It would be a very big challenge [de maintenir la communication]and we would lose more lives [de soldats ukrainiens] “, he analyzes.
Currently, every unit in the Ukrainian army that flies drones or collects intelligence on the front line would likely have a Starlink terminal in their possession. “At the beginning of the war, having a terminal was a luxury, but today it is more widespread,” says Volodymyr Omelyan.
And their contribution is vital. “Sometimes every minute counts,” said the former minister affiliated with the Popular Front party. With Starlink, when we detect the enemy, we send the location to the artillery, and the Russian position can be hit in two or three minutes. »
A very useful instrument of war
If Ukrainian artillery targets Russian positions without hitting them, changes can be sent in near real time by Starlink to correct the shots. Or, if drones detect that Russian forces are about to attack, “we immediately send these images with the location to our command so that our troops prepare”, explains Volodymyr Omelyan.
As units move to the front line, they carry Starlink terminals with them. But these also represent a risk for the Ukrainian troops. “If the enemy uses drones with thermal cameras, they can easily detect us,” reports the captain, adding that the terminals give off heat when they are in operation. Not to mention that Starlink’s white antennas are easily spotted.
To limit the risk of being discovered, Ukrainian soldiers spread the word: Starlink devices must be painted and covered to limit heat radiation – which would not harm the signal.
“Starlink is a very useful instrument for war,” summarizes the 43-year-old politician. The Russians can’t do anything against Starlink. They can’t block it. They can only destroy it physically, but for that, it needs to be spotted. »
Break in defense
Starlink is seen in some industries as a disruptive technology. In the United States, rival internet providers are outraged that SpaceX received US$900 million from the federal government in aid to roll out its service to areas where traditional networks have less of a presence. It is the same modus operandi which was used by SpaceX in Quebec earlier this fall, to help the Legault government fulfill its promise to connect all regions to the Internet before the end of the year.
It is not known what accounts SpaceX has promised to return to Quebec and American authorities. Once his network of satellites has the expected global reach, will Elon Musk do as he pleases? The countries that frame their telecommunications industry have an authority limited by borders that Starlink promises to smash. Musk, as a great libertarian, does not care a bit about the established rules. His sometimes rather cavalier management of Tesla and more recently of Twitter testifies to this.
Can we hope that similar networks belonging to other interests — Amazon’s Kuiper project or even Ottawa’s Telesat LEO network — will show more respect for local authorities?
Risk management
The same risk of disruption as in telecommunications also applies to defence. The example of Ukraine could be replicated elsewhere. For example in Taiwan, if China decides to tighten its grip on the small Pacific island, as feared by experts in international policy. Could a satellite Internet network influence the outcome of such an offensive?
Maybe so, but probably not, say the experts in military operations consulted on this subject. They all point to a first limit to the use of Starlink in an armed conflict: its belonging to an unpredictable private company.
In a nutshell: it’s risky, says Peter H. Denton, associate professor in the Department of War Studies at the Royal Military College of Canada. “Commercial networks are useful, until they are not. Military generals like those in Ukraine will find Starlink useful as long as no one blocks their access to the network or hacks into their orders. »
Anessa L. Kimball, professor of political science and member of the management of the Center for International Security at the Graduate School of International Studies at Laval University, seconded Peter H. Denton. With a nuance: commercial networks are risky, but when you have no other choice, they are tempting…
“To the extent that the risk is great to disseminate strategic information on a network where data security is minimal, it will remain a problem,” said Anessa L. Kimball. “But Ukraine has a greater need to transmit a lot of information. There is room on the Starlink network, but at a price and in exchange for high risk. »
For military leaders tempted to circumvent established systems, the balance must therefore be found between the risk and the advantages of using new technologies such as that of SpaceX. Controlling communication channels is a pillar of modern military strategy that is being undermined by this new form of satellite internet.
At the same time, the same balance will have to be found in a more global way to define the freedom that governments will want to leave to this technology which will very soon exceed their capacity to regulate them.
In the end, it will be up to the people of the world to decide which of the states or owners of private technologies will have the last word, concludes Anessa L. Kimball. “Does the world want to believe that Elon Musk and SpaceX will always be in good faith? »
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