The Pentagon inspector general’s office declined a request from a bipartisan group of US senators to investigate recent restrictions placed on the Ukraine military’s utilization of SpaceX’s satellite network.
Connectivity Issues in Ukraine
Ukraine utilizes the commercial SpaceX Starlink service along with its military variant, Starshield. Earlier this month, Ukrainian officials reported that military drones experienced a loss of satellite connectivity when traveling at speeds exceeding 161 kilometers per hour, or 100 miles per hour. This speed restriction was subsequently lifted after approximately 10 days.
In response to the reported disruptions, five Democratic and four Republican senators dispatched a letter on October 15 to Department of Defense Inspector General Platte Moring, urging an official probe.
The congressional letter inquired whether any service limitations on Starlink or Starshield were directed, authorized, or implemented by SpaceX, the Department of Defense, or other US government entities. The senators also asked whether those limitations aligned with relevant US government contracts and what actions the Department of Defense took in response, as reported by CNN.
Inspector General Response
Platte responded to the senators in a letter, stating that the inquiries should be directed instead to the US Air Force and Space Force. Moring noted that those branches are better suited to address the raised matters and to coordinate any departmental responses.
A spokesperson for the Pentagon inspector general’s office told Ars Technica that the office carefully evaluated the congressional request and concluded that the Department of War should address the matters. The spokesperson added that the office may reconsider if new information emerges.
Ars Technica reached out to the Department of Defense to ask whether it plans to conduct an investigation and will update the report upon receiving a response.
