Japan's military considers adopting Elon Musk's Starlink satellite service
The Hindu
Japan’s military has been testing Elon Musk’s Starlink since March with the system deployed in about 10 locations and in training
Japan's military is testing Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service with an eye to adopting the technology next fiscal year, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday, citing unnamed government sources.
The Ministry of Defense already has access to communication satellites in geostationary orbit, but use of Starlink technology, operated by Musk's SpaceX, would add a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, the Yomiuri said.
Countries around the world are seeking to build resilience against the risk of jamming of communications or attacks on satellites in the event of conflict.
Japan's Self-Defense Forces have been testing Starlink since March with the system deployed in about 10 locations and in training, the newspaper said.
Defence ministry spokespeople could not immediately be reached for comment on the report outside business hours.
Starlink technology is being deployed by Ukraine on the battlefield, and Russia is attempting to block its use in the region. Musk said in October SpaceX could not afford to indefinitely fund Starlink's use in Ukraine.
The U.S. Defense Department said this month it had contracted to provide Starlink services there.
The 29th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP29), held at Baku in Azerbaijan, is arguably the most important of the United Nations’ climate conferences. It was supposed to conclude on November 22, after nearly 11 days of negotiations and the whole purpose was for the world to take a collective step forward in addressing rising carbon emissions.