Britain in talks with Elon Musk to use 'Starshield' for military operations in landmark deal

Britain is in talks to become one of the first countries to adopt Elon Musk's "Starshield" military satellite network in a landmark deal.

The system, first developed for the US, is designed for military and intelligence missions with enhanced security features, while SpaceX's standard Starlink broadband service is aimed at consumer and commercial use.

Sources close to the matter said the Ministry of Defence started transitioning operational military traffic to the more expensive Starshield service around the beginning of this year.

Mr Musk has been quick to to draw a clearer line between Starshield and Starlink, SpaceX's vast low-Earth-orbit broadband network and main source of revenue.

SpaceX, which is due to go public at a valuation topping $1.5trillion on June 12, has insisted Starlink should not be used for weapons systems.

Starshied, the militarised variant, was created specifically for the US government, incorporating strengthened security capabilities suited to defence and intelligence operations.

Starlink, by contrast, serves commercial and residential customers and forms SpaceX's primary revenue stream.

Last month, SpaceX reportedly increased Pentagon charges fivefold for Starlink connections used to direct kamikaze drones during operations against Iran, with Mr Musk indicating this price rise reflected inappropriate use of the consumer service when Starshield should have been employed instead.

In a statement to reporters, the Ministry of Defence did not comment on Starshield.

It said personnel still use Starlink for non-operational purposes, such as keeping in touch with family during deployment, and that it "is not used for military operations".

The spokesman added the ministry uses a range of suppliers for its armed forces.

GB News has contacted SpaceX for comment.

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Armed forces across the globe have increasingly embraced Starlink technology following Ukraine's extensive deployment of the network after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian forces utilised the system for both communications and drone operations.

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell revealed in 2023 that the company had restricted Ukraine's ability to use Starlink for offensive military purposes.

The firm has additionally attempted to prevent what it described as unauthorised access to the network by Russian soldiers operating in Ukraine.

The British military first adopted Starlink in July 2022. By spring 2024, UK forces had approximately 1,000 terminals in use, according to government information released in May 2025 following a freedom of information

In January, it was reported China and Russia are targeting Starlink, claiming the network poses dangers to spacecraft whilst facilitating criminal enterprises, drug trafficking operations and terrorist organisations.

It comes as Beijing is understood to be researching ways to disable the network should it launch an invasion of Taiwan.

The two powers, backed by Cuba and Iran, are pressing Washington to impose controls on the rapidly expanding satellite system, arguing its growth violates international space obligations.

SpaceX currently operates approximately 10,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, delivering internet connectivity worldwide beyond the reach of national government censorship or control.