Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) are reportedly exploring the possibility of utilizing Starlink, the satellite communications network developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, according to the Yomiuri newspaper, reports Bloomberg.
Since March, the SDF has been evaluating the effectiveness of the US company’s network for their land, sea, and air force operations. The organization is now contemplating officially adopting Starlink from the fiscal year starting April 2024, as per multiple government sources cited by the Yomiuri (via @Tslachan).
At present, the Self-Defense Forces rely on two of their own X-band satellites for their communication needs. However, as part of their broader digital strategy, they plan to test various other service providers in this fiscal year, Yomiuri reported.
The potential adoption of Starlink by Japan’s SDF signifies an important step in broadening the application of SpaceX’s communication network in international military operations.
Starlink is powered by a low-Earth orbit satellite constellation, available nearly everywhere on Earth, whether be it land, air or sea. SpaceX has recently started sending up Starlink V2 satellites, offering more capacity to the constellation internet network. Soon, Starlink will power a global satellite cellphone service starting with T-Mobile in the U.S. and Rogers in Canada.
