Image: Starlink
Norway’s armed forces and police are set to get Starlink through a new satellite deal.
Forsvarsmateriell (FMA), Norway’s defense procurement agency, has reportedly awarded Marlink a framework agreement worth up to NOK 450 million. The news follows growing debate over Starlink’s role in Ukraine.
According to Norwegian media, the agreement covers the Norwegian Armed Forces, the police, the Police Security Service (PST) and the National Security Authority (NSM). It requires access to Starlink service and leaves room for future use of Starshield, the military version of the network built by SpaceX.
FMA’s tender notice lists a maximum value of NOK 450 million. It names Iridium, Viasat, Thuraya, OneWeb and Starlink as required networks, with Starshield, Amazon’s LEO and Telesat Lightspeed flagged as possible additions during the contract period.
Hanne Stine Kind, communications chief at the Norwegian Cyber Defence Force, said the military uses Starlink for administrative and welfare purposes such as email and internet access. “The Armed Forces currently have 180 active subscriptions and have not experienced any problems with delivery,” Kind said.
FMA press officer Margrethe Petersen defended the choice of supplier in comments to Norwegian news agency NTB. “Marlink is a company headquartered in Norway and has delivered communication solutions in Norway since the 1970s,” Petersen said, adding that it trades solutions from several satellite providers so the military does not depend on a single commercial supplier.
Not everyone is on board. Green Party (MDG) lawmaker Lars Henriksen said last week that “the use of systems like Starlink and Starshield must be banned in the armed forces,” citing Elon Musk’s ties to the Trump administration and Russia.
Marlink describes itself as the world’s largest enterprise partner for Starlink, and Tesla North covered its original maritime deal with SpaceX back in 2022. Canada has faced a similar debate, with Prime Minister Mark Carney weighing in on Starlink dependence just days ago.
For consumers, the same network is available through the Starlink Standard kit and the portable Starlink Mini.
Should NATO countries rely on Starlink for military and police communications? Let us know in the comments.
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