The US Navy says it's “on the cusp” of using SpaceX’s Starlink technology to bring satellite internet connectivity to ships across its fleet and at bases.

Starlink has been powering a Navy program called Sailor Edge Afloat and Ashore (SEA2), which aims to update its satellite communication systems, according to the US Defense Department. US military ships previously relied on six geostationary satellites from the Pentagon that orbited the Earth at 22,300 miles away, but provided slow speeds. In response, the Navy has been testing harnessing low-Earth orbiting satellites from SpaceX’s Starlink and the UK’s Eutelsat OneWeb to deliver faster speeds.

“The need for increased connectivity was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in March 2020 when ships were unable to perform port calls due to country restrictions, thus severing their connection to the rest of the world,” DoD's DVIDS news service wrote on Tuesday.

The Navy is now indicating ships installed with the Starlink dishes and OneWeb terminals from Kymeta can receive 1Gbps internet speeds. “SEA2 was officiated 20 times faster than any other program in the past,” DVIDS added. “A noteworthy accomplishment was SEA2’s cybersecurity certification, which has never been done before. Previous internet solutions had no full authority to operate and were only tolerated.”

The Navy has installed Starlink and OneWeb equipment on the aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been using the satellite internet system for both tactical and non-military purposes. This has included streaming the Super Bowl to crewmembers during a watch party on the carrier back in February. A year earlier, the Starlink system was also installed on the USS Gerald R. Ford, another aircraft carrier.

“We want to escape the mindset that SEA2 is only for tactical use,” Cmdr. Kevin White, a combat system engineer on the USS Abraham Lincoln, told DVIDS. “Right now, it’s all about getting the best out of our sailors by keeping them connected to home in a way they’re used to and giving them the tools to do their jobs more effectively.”

The US Navy is likely receiving the Starlink access through SpaceX’s Starshield program, which is designed to offer satellite internet connectivity to government agencies. Last year, SpaceX received a Pentagon contract for Starshield to supply communications to the US Armed Forces.

The US Navy partnership underscores how Starlink is increasingly playing a role on the military front. The satellite internet system has become crucial to Ukraine and its military amid the country’s war with Russia. However, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has received criticism for curbing Starlink’s military use in Ukraine, saying it was necessary to prevent the war from escalating.

By: DocMemory
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