In brief
Ukraine’s soldiers have grown dependent on Starlink’s satellite internet to coordinate drone strikes, manage communications and avoid Russian interference. A sudden slowdown by SpaceX last week exposed how fragile the country’s link is, sparking a race by the EU to build an independent system called Iris². While France’s Eutelsat offers a limited alternative through Govsatcom, the network can’t support mission‑critical drone operations. The debate now centres on whether Ukraine can survive without Starlink, and how quickly Europe can deliver a comparable, resilient solution.
In the heat of the Ukraine crisis, soldiers on the front line have turned to Elon Musk’s satellite package Starlink as a critical bridge for command, control and data flow. When the service slowed last week, the country’s ability to repel Russian attacks was put at risk, prompting officials and analysts to warn that any interruption could mean a rapid collapse of Ukraine’s defence network. That event has become a rallying cry for the European Union as it moves to create its own high‑speed, defence‑grade satellite constellation – Iris² – scheduled for launch in 2029.
Why Starlink matters at the battlefield
Starlink’s key advantage lies in its speed and low latency; even a one‑second delay can cost lives when coordinating drone strikes or transmitting real‑time video. A soldier at the front said, "The terminals are small and lightweight so we can fit them on tanks, vehicles or even drones. That gives us a real tactical edge." In contrast, the larger terminals from Eutelsat’s OneWeb are easier to mount on a car roof but are not suitable for small UAVs and run five times higher on cost.
Whether Starlink is truly indispensable is debated. Kari Bingen, director of the Aerospace Security Project at CSIS, notes that the network is a “critical military capability that Ukraine relies on but does not control.” Yet without Starlink, Ukrainian forces would have to default to older US‑launched satellites or the EU’s interim solution, Govsatcom, which cannot yet support drone control.
The EU’s two‑phase answer
Governments across Europe are racing to close the gap left by a possible Starlink outage. The first stop is Govsatcom, a shared‑satellite network built in January to interlink EU member states. Ukraine, still outside the bloc, is in talks to join, though commercial access is not yet available for military drone operations.
Longer term, the European Commission is pushing forward with the Iris² project – a partnership between Eutelsat, SES, Hispasat, Airbus, Leonardo and Thales – which will deploy a constellation of 348 low‑ and medium‑orbit satellites. Though far fewer than Starlink’s 10,000 ships, experts say the design focuses on coverage and defence primacy rather than sheer numbers. The EU has pledged Ukraine access “from day one” of the platform, but the network is unlikely to be operational until 2029.
Alternatives still in the pipeline
Beyond Iris², Finland’s Iceye and Nokia announced a partnership to develop a sovereign satellite‑communication capability for Ukraine, while a joint venture called Project Bromo led by Airbus, Leonardo and Thales aims to compete with SpaceX in the future. Even so, all projects need significant funding and several years of development before they can offer the same level of low‑latency connectivity as Starlink.
Given the time scale, officials stress the importance of network resilience: “If Starlink goes down, we still need another way to stay connected,” says Bingen, echoing a broader doctrine of “multiple redundant networks” similar to Earth‑based mobile carriers.
Space, cables, and the new defence frontier
While most global communications travel through undersea cables – vulnerable to sabotage – satellites present a hard‑to‑terminate option. The UK has recently proposed measures to protect its cables after a rise in suspicious Russian activity. “In a crisis, the potential for cable damage is real and satellite backups become essential,” declared Bingen.
NASA and NATO have echoed that sentiment, arguing that as modern warfare becomes more data‑driven, the ability to move freely in space is a key strategic advantage. Ukraine’s reliance on Starlink thus illustrates how space is becoming a frontline, not just a backdrop, for military operations.
Whether the European plan can keep pace with the urgent demands of Ukraine’s front line remains to be seen, but the story highlights a new era where digital resilience is as vital as conventional armament.
