SpaceX and US Army sign deal to test Starlink broadband for military use
Army will test Starlink performance before deciding whether to be a customer. …
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The US Army has signed a three-year deal with SpaceX to test the company’s Starlink satellite-broadband service, SpaceNews reported today.
On May 20, the Army and SpaceX signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), an Army source told the news organization. This will allow the Army to use Starlink broadband in order to determine whether it should be rolled out for wider use.
“CRADAs are commonly used by the military to evaluate technologies and services from the private sector before it commits to buying them,” SpaceNews wrote. “The Army in this case wants to be able to assess the performance of the Starlink low-Earth orbit [LEO] Internet service when connected to military systems. The Army will seek answers to key questions such as what ground equipment it will need to use Starlink and how much systems integration work could be required.”
The Army source who talked to SpaceNews said the deal with SpaceX will “allow the Army to understand potential applications of state-of-the art advancements in commercial RF SATCOM such as the new Starlink LEO constellation and modern SATCOM terminal developments capable of tracking LEO satellites.” The project will reportedly be overseen by Combat Capabilities Development Command’s C5ISR Center at the Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.
The Army also previously signed CRADAs “with companies like Kratos and SES to assess the use of commercial SATCOM,” SpaceNews wrote. The Army is reportedly aiming to boost its satellite connectivity
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