Elon Musk has claimed that the US military improperly used SpaceX's civilian Starlink system in 'suicide drones' during the Iran war, as fresh reports revealed a behind-the-scenes pricing dispute between SpaceX and the Pentagon over its Starshield satellite service. The row emerged after Reuters reported that SpaceX pushed for a major increase in what the military pays for satellite connections used in Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System drones, also known as LUCAS drones.
According to the report, the Pentagon had initially objected to the higher charges before eventually agreeing to them. Musk quickly disputed parts of the Reuters report, calling it 'false', but at the same time appeared to confirm that military contractors had incorrectly used Starlink's civilian network instead of the government-focused Starshield system. The comments have drawn attention to the growing role of SpaceX technology in modern warfare and the tensions that can arise when commercial systems become tied to military operations.
