Ukraine's military has become heavily reliant on Starlink, a satellite internet service provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX company. The service has been crucial for Ukraine's defense against Russian attacks, providing fast and real-time connectivity for communications and drone warfare.
What happened
Last week, a sudden slowdown of the Starlink service in Ukraine affected the country's ability to defend itself, highlighting the risks of relying on a US-based provider. The slowdown has since been restored, but the incident has increased Europe's urgency to develop its own military-grade satellite network.
The EU is working on a new network, called Iris², which is set to launch in 2029. The network will be a defense-first program, focusing on governments, military, and emergency services. Ukraine has been guaranteed access to the network from its launch.
In the short term, the EU is offering Ukraine access to its Govsatcom network, a satellite sharing network that was set up in January. However, the network cannot be used for military warfare, such as controlling drones.
Experts say that while there are alternative satellite internet services, such as France's Eutelsat, they are not as fast or reliable as Starlink. The EU's Iris² network is seen as a long-term solution, but it will not be available until 2029.
