Pentagon inspector general declines to probe Starlink and Starshield limits in Ukraine
The Pentagon inspector general's office has declined a request from US senators to investigate restrictions recently imposed on the Ukrainian military's use of SpaceX's satellite network.
The background: Ukraine, which uses SpaceX's Starlink service and its military version, Starshield, said earlier this month that its military drones lost satellite connectivity when traveling above 161 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour). The limit was removed after about 10 days.
Five Democratic and four Republican senators sent an October 15 letter to Department of Defense Inspector General Platte Moring, asking for a probe into the reported disruptions. Among other things, the letter asked "whether any restrictions on Starlink or Starshield services were directed, authorized, or implemented by SpaceX, the Department of Defense, or other US government entities; whether such restrictions were consistent with applicable US government contracts, and what actions, if any, the Department of Defense took in response."
Moring replied in a letter on Tuesday, according to CNN, saying the questions should be directed to the US Air Force and Space Force. "They are better suited to address the matters raised in your letter and to coordinate any Department responses to your questions," Moring wrote.
A spokesperson for the Pentagon inspector general's office told Ars Technica that the Department of War Office of Inspector General (the DoW OIG) had answered recent correspondence from members of Congress regarding Starlink. The spokesperson said: "We carefully considered the congressional request and determined that the matters raised were best addressed by the DOW. Should new information come to light, we may reconsider."
Ars Technica asked the Department of Defense whether it plans to investigate and says it will update its article if the department responds.
CNN, the outlet that reported on the inspector general's letter, wrote that the satellite problems "were discovered after the administration threatened to withhold intelligence to Kyiv over its strikes on Russian refineries and after President Donald Trump made a deal to buy Russian diesel and ease sanctions on Moscow." That is CNN's characterization of the timing.
Key facts
- The Pentagon inspector general's office declined a request from nine US senators (five Democratic, four Republican) to investigate limits on Ukraine's military use of Starlink and Starshield.
- Ukraine said earlier this month that its military drones lost satellite connectivity above 161 km/h (100 mph); the limit was removed after about 10 days.
- The senators' October 15 letter asked whether SpaceX, the Department of Defense or other US government entities directed, authorized or implemented the restrictions, and whether they fit government contracts.
- Inspector General Platte Moring replied on Tuesday that the Air Force and Space Force are better suited to address the questions, per CNN.
- The inspector general's spokesperson said the office "may reconsider" if new information comes to light.
Why it matters
The senators' letter asked a direct question: did SpaceX, the Defense Department or another part of the US government direct, authorize or implement a speed limit that cut off Ukrainian drones from satellite service? The inspector general's office has declined to open its own probe and sent the questions to the Air Force and Space Force instead. CNN, as quoted by Ars Technica, wrote that the problems were discovered after the administration threatened to withhold intelligence to Kyiv over its strikes on Russian refineries and after President Donald Trump made a deal to buy Russian diesel and ease sanctions on Moscow. That is CNN's wording, not a finding about what caused the restrictions.
Who it affects
Ukraine's military, which uses Starlink and the military version Starshield and said its drones lost connectivity above 161 km/h (100 mph). It also affects the nine senators, five Democratic and four Republican, who asked for the probe, and the Air Force and Space Force, which the inspector general pointed to for the answers.
How to use it
There is nothing for a reader to apply here; this is an oversight story. The things to watch are whether the Department of Defense answers Ars Technica's question about a possible investigation, which Ars says it will add to the article, and how the Air Force and Space Force respond to the senators' questions.
How solid is it
The core event is firmly sourced: Ars Technica quotes a spokesperson for the inspector general's office, and the article quotes the letter's wording. Moring's reply to the senators comes through CNN's reporting. The drone speed limit and its duration of about 10 days are as described in the article, which attributes the connectivity loss to Ukraine's statement. The article gives the inspector general's reply date only as Tuesday.
Risks and caveats
The source does not say who or what caused the 161 km/h limit, nor whether SpaceX, the Pentagon or anyone else imposed it. It does not say why the limit was removed after about 10 days, and it does not say whether the Air Force, Space Force or the Department of Defense will investigate. It does not name the senators, and it does not give SpaceX's response or a Ukrainian government statement beyond what is summarized. The inspector general's office left the door open to reconsidering if new information appears.
“They are better suited to address the matters raised in your letter and to coordinate any Department responses to your questions”
— Platte Moring, Department of Defense Inspector General, in a letter to the senators, as reported by CNN and Ars Technica