Ukraine May Be Fitting Starlink Dishes on Drones to Fight Russia

Jan 22, 2024

It looks like the Ukrainian military has found a new way to deploy SpaceX’s Starlink by installing the satellite internet system directly on drones.

On Wednesday, a pro-Russian paramilitary group called KCPN posted photos of a captured drone that seems to come from Ukraine. KCPN investigated how the unmanned drone was communicating with its handlers, and discovered the retrofitted Starlink equipment attached to the machine.

As you can see, the captured drone features a Starlink dish, which can communicate to SpaceX’s orbiting satellites to receive high-speed internet access. KCPN claims the hardware is a flat high-performance Starlink dish, which became available to Starlink RV consumers in December and can receive more consistent broadband quality. (That said, the hardware actually looks more like a standard Starlink dish. It's also unclear how long the drone can power the satellite internet system.)

To equip the drone with Starlink hardware, the plastic back covering to the dish has been cut off, reducing the weight and making it easier for the drone to carry it. Other photos show the drone contains a Raspberry Pi 4 computer and a CubePilot module for flight control.

Although the purpose of the drone remains unclear, KCPN says the Starlink access would’ve allowed the machine to be controlled anywhere—so long as it had an open view to the sky—making it a potent surveillance threat. Theoretically, the same drone could also supply Wi-Fi access to any neighboring troops on the ground.

If real, the drone shows a new way Starlink can be weaponized for warfare. Ever since the Russian invasion began, Ukraine has been using Starlink to not only deliver high-speed internet to war torn regions, but to also supply communications to troops, including controlling unmanned drones. In addition, Ukraine has been quick to experiment with operating Starlink on moving cars and trains.

So far, Ukraine hasn’t commented on the captured drone. But earlier this week, the Ukrainian government announced it was sending 83 drones, and dozens of Starlink dishes, to troops in the eastern city of Bakhmut, where the fighting continues to rage.

To counter Starlink, Russia has made veiled threats to attack SpaceX’s satellite internet system, which currently spans over 3,000 satellites. Last month, a Russian arms maker also claimed it had developed the technology to detect and hunt down Starlink dishes used on the battlefield.

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