UK quietly adopts Starshield: Everything to know about Musk's military-grade Starlink system

Britain has reportedly started using the Elon Musk-owned Starlink constellation’s militarised version specifically designed for government and defence applications with enhanced security features despite the billionaire’s continuous racist propaganda against the UK government.

The United Kingdom has become one of the first countries outside the United States to use SpaceX’s Starshield for military and intelligence missions.

Two people familiar with the matter told Reuters, operational military traffic was already being transitioned by the UK defence ministry to the Starshield. 

However, the ministry denied the use of SpaceX’s specialised constellation: “It is not used for military operations.”

The ministry added that the standard Starlink version is used by troops to keep in touch with their families during missions.

SpaceX’s Starshield gained prominence after its extensive use by the Ukrainian military in its war against Russia. Armed forces used Starlink for communications and drone control.

In 2023, the space technology company banned Ukraine from using Starlink for offensive purposes. It has also pushed hard to stop the unauthorized use of its services by Russian troops in Ukraine.

Neither British military nor SpaceX has officially confirmed the use of Starshield.

This comes as the company prepares for initial public offering and it is targeting the largest valuation in corporate history, around $2 trillion.