Ukrainian Army's "Starlink" Speed Limit Triggers Reflection Among European Armies

Reference News Network reported on October 20 According to the October 17 report from the British newspaper The Times, the reduction in "Starlink" speed highlights the Ukrainian military's dependence on American satellites, as well as similar risks faced by Western military forces.

On the 13th, the military version of the "Starlink" system, "Starshield," began to limit the connection speed for Ukrainian users. Both Musk and U.S. President Trump are well aware of President Zelensky's deep reliance on this system.

On the 17th, Zelensky stated that the speed restrictions continue to hinder Ukraine's drone operations, and his team believes this is a "deliberately planned action" aimed at weakening Ukraine's defensive capabilities.

The report points out that regardless of where the speed limit order originated, the biggest warning for Ukraine and Western countries that are advancing military modernization in recent days is that the system created by Musk's SpaceX has unmatched capabilities, which at least currently gives the U.S. a unique bargaining chip.

Edward Stringer, a senior researcher at the British think tank Policy Exchange, said: "This once again proves that if you take war seriously, you really must have space capabilities, so this is a huge warning for Europe."

According to reports, the connection speed limit targets satellite antennas moving at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour (approximately 160.93 kilometers). Most of Ukraine's communication or video reconnaissance links were not affected, but a significant portion of weapon systems' operational capabilities were severely weakened.

In terms of defense, this means Ukraine cannot send control signals to interceptors used to shoot down Russian jet drones. In terms of offense, Ukrainian weapons that exceed this speed limit have their strike operations constrained.

Technical experts quickly pointed out that strikes against deep targets within Russia (such as refineries) cannot rely on drones equipped with "Starlink" antennas for control, as the system is inherently limited in accessing above Russian airspace. However, "Starlink" is crucial for Ukraine's strikes on targets in the "intermediate zone," which is located within Russian territory, 50 to 200 kilometers from the front lines.

The report states that this incident has prompted Zelensky and Western military forces to start considering how to reduce dependence on this American technology.

The strength of "Starlink" comes from the number of satellites, as there are thousands of satellites in orbit, making it very difficult to shoot down enough satellites to impair its performance.

This characteristic is crucial for military users, as its resistance to electronic interference far exceeds that of ground radio systems. For this reason, Ukrainian drones are equipped with "Starshield" antennas.

Last month, Chief of the Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston said at a conference in London that the Royal Air Force would "never be able to project its power without space capabilities." He believes this is especially true for drones, stating that "drone forces are units that rely heavily on space capabilities."

Musk's company has received regulatory approval to launch up to 42,000 "Starlink" satellites, and with more competitors entering the field, low Earth orbit will become increasingly crowded. The industry has already begun discussing how to avoid the "Kessler Syndrome," a theory that suggests a series of collisions in space could create a snowball effect, ultimately destroying these new infrastructures.

The report notes that this is a challenge for the future, but it is undeniable that in the realm of space, just like in artificial intelligence or broader technology fields, the U.S. holds a dominant position. Although Europe has plans to seek alternatives, it will take years to realize them. (Translated by Liu Zongya and Hu Guanghe)