Pentagon, SpaceX Clash Over Starlink Pricing as Iran Operations Intensify
ME News reported on May 26 (UTC+8) that as Elon Musk's Starlink network helped boost the effectiveness of U.S. "LUCAS" suicide drones in operations against Iran, SpaceX executives pressed the U.S. Department of Defense to pay more for satellite WiFi access. According to two people familiar with the matter and Pentagon documents, SpaceX representatives met with Defense Department officials within weeks of the start of U.S. bombing campaigns, arguing that the military pays about $5,000 per terminal connection even though it is using a higher-tier service priced at nearly $25,000. Interviews with five informed individuals and related documents show the dispute over Starlink's role in the LUCAS drone program is one of several recent flashpoints as tensions between SpaceX and the Pentagon mount over Starlink pricing.