U.S. Air Force
The U.S. Space Force posted a public award notice on August 25 for Starshield Custom Fleet Aviation Services, a firm-fixed-price task order to SpaceX that keeps military aircraft on the Starshield network through July 2028.
Space Systems Command’s Commercial Services Office in El Segundo published the justification on SAM.gov after security reviews delayed the filing. The order was awarded July 28. The dollar value is redacted.
The government said it needs subscription service on the SpaceX Starshield (Starlink) network for Tile and Tile Mini aviation terminals already installed on aircraft. The filing calls for Ku-band worldwide coverage at no less than 500 megabits per second down and 100 megabits per second up. The base year runs July 31, 2026, to July 30, 2027, with one option through July 30, 2028.
Space Force officials said only SpaceX can meet the requirement. OneWeb-compatible aviation terminals had not been tested to MIL-STD-810H and MIL-STD-461G, and they are larger than the Tile Mini. Eleven government organizations spent about $51.9 million in 2024 and 2025 developing that smaller terminal for military aircraft, including tactical fighter jets. Replacing already-installed hardware would cost roughly $72 million and take two and a half to three years, the filing said.
SpaceX is also deploying Starshield-specific points of presence to tie mission partners into the Defense Department Information Network. That sits beside the $2.29 billion Space Data Network Backbone award and the $1.6 billion order for 18 Falcon 9 launches from Vandenberg. The Air Force was already asking about rugged Starlink and Starshield kits for AC-130J gunships in January.
