NZ Defence Force Tests SpaceX Starshield for Operations as 10,000-Satellite Network Expands Military Reach
Updated
Updated · RNZ · Jun 2
NZ Defence Force Tests SpaceX Starshield for Operations as 10,000-Satellite Network Expands Military Reach
3 articles · Updated · RNZ · Jun 2
NZ Defence Force said it is running an exercise to determine whether SpaceX’s Starshield can support operations, after presenting a December business case for a Starshield global access subscription.
NZDF said the related deed of indemnity is a standard NZ-US government agreement and that the trial will decide what uses Starshield has for New Zealand, if any; cost details were not disclosed.
Starshield is SpaceX’s military version of Starlink, built to host classified payloads securely, while NZDF has already used civilian Starlink for unclassified work.
Britain has also begun shifting operational military traffic to Starshield, Reuters reported, as the Pentagon deepens reliance on the system with a US$4 billion Golden Dome backbone contract.
The test comes as Starshield draws scrutiny over its role in drone warfare and Washington presses allies to match US capabilities and defence resolve.