Reuters exclusive: UK Ministry of Defence spent nearly $40M on SpaceX satellite services
The UK Ministry of Defence has spent nearly $40 million on SpaceX satellite services, a Reuters freedom-of-information request revealed — making Britain the first country outside the US to publicly confirm adopting Starshield, SpaceX's military-grade service, as Western reliance on Musk's satellite infrastructure deepens.
Documents obtained by Reuters through a freedom-of-information request show the UK Ministry of Defence has spent roughly $40 million (£29.5 million) on SpaceX satellite services. Of that, about $17.6 million (£13 million) went to Starshield — SpaceX's military and intelligence-grade service, including terminals and airtime — and about $22.3 million (£16.5 million) to standard Starlink internet service.
Britain is now the first country outside the US to publicly confirm it has adopted Starshield. The defence ministry said it currently operates roughly 1,000 Starshield terminals and about 500 Starlink terminals.
The UK has used Starlink since mid-2022, including in support of Ukraine, and has more recently been shifting operational military communications traffic toward Starshield.
The disclosure lands amid growing debate in Europe over dependence on US-controlled security infrastructure, offering one of the first concrete figures showing how deeply even an allied government now relies on Musk's satellite network.
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