Internet Starlink has become a real weapon in the war with the Russian Federation but why SpaceX against
The latter, in time, the conflict around the use of Starlink terminals for the production of Ukrainian drones marked the release of differences to a new level. I can be wrong, but none of the commentators pointed out the essence of the problem. As the war in Ukraine showed, drones became another Game Changer on the battlefield, like tanks during the First World War or PTRC during the war of Judgment Day.
Being radically cheaper in the development, production and operation than ballistic missiles and manned aviation, UAVs offer comparable opportunities. The value/efficiency ratio is simply off the chart. Therefore, old, young, and bugs, spiders, and bears - everyone wants to get more and more diversified into their arsenals of these drones. Of particular interest are heavy shock and reconnaissance drones with a large radius of action. "Great" is hundreds and thousands of kilometers.
Development and mass production of aircraft itself is a general trivial task. The most difficult, truly key element of long -range UAVs is a communication subsystem. How to carry out continuous protected and stable digital communication with such a device? Plus the requirements of low delay and high bandwidth. Today it is only about satellite technologies. The set of requirements may be the choice between literally several operators of such systems.
They are either directly managed by the military or are under dense state control. Creating a satellite communication system is a task of marginal complexity, which is literally a few states. Global satellite system operators are at the top of the "food pyramid" of the drone market. Therefore, states whose residents are global satellite system operators directly control the global fleet of heavy shock and intelligence drones.
Before you take up the development of something "one", you have to negotiate with the operator of one of these systems, without hints, declaring the military character of your plans - with all the consequences that follow from it, numerous and not always comfortable consequences in the cost of services, It can be assumed that from the point of view of the states, and both businesses and authorities that take care of it, it is another example of dishonest competition.
Within this point of view, Ukrainians try to bypass the control mechanisms of extremely promising market and go through the black move. But here the Ukrainians come to the stage and are very surprised: "Tu, what about the problem? Next, there is a public announcement of the creation of hundreds and thousands of various drones of the far radius of action, both air and marine, through which Ukrainians win war.
At the same time, they will conquer the global weapon market, striking foreigners with successful results of combat use and very pleasant prices. It can be assumed that from the point of view of the states, and both businesses and authorities that take care of it, it is another example of dishonest competition. Within this point of view, Ukrainians try to bypass the control mechanisms of extremely promising market and go through the black move.
In particular, they try to use as a key element of their services that are directly forbidden for commercial use as follows. Not for this, the states were grown this flower, Oh, not for this . . . In favor of this - public communication SpaceX, if perceived literally. You can not use the Starlinka to organize a communication channel with external devices, but it is impossible as a functional and structural element of weapons systems.