Ukrainian Defense Tech Firm Urges Expansion of Starshield Satellite Coverage Beyond National Borders

STOCKHOLM — Ukrainian missile manufacturer Fire Point has requested that SpaceX’s military-grade Starshield satellite network be expanded beyond Ukraine’s borders, according to its CEO, speaking to Breaking Defense.

This request comes amid upcoming negotiations in Washington concerning the renewal of Ukraine’s contract to use the Starshield network.

Terekh said that extending Starshield licenses beyond currently occupied territories—by an additional 200 to 300 kilometers—could markedly improve Ukraine’s ability to counter Russian ballistic attacks on civilian populations.

She noted that Ukraine employs Starshield exclusively for military purposes, not civilian Starlink services. Licenses are issued and managed by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, functioning as an end‑user certificate that ensures governmental oversight.

Earlier in the month, Ukrainian officials reported an abrupt change to the Starshield network, blaming it on drone and air‑defence failures that caused both military and civilian casualties. At present, the network remains limited to Ukrainian territory.

Consequently, only missions in temporarily occupied areas can be conducted—a significant advantage, according to Terekh—yet it fails to address the core issue of targeting Russian forces near the border, where most ballistic missile launchers operate within short range.

The Starshield contract is slated to expire in mid‑2027, a senior Ukrainian official told reporters in Washington, with negotiations commencing this month to negotiate a new agreement.

Terekh emphasized that the lives of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians hinge on a single political decision by the United States, which will not impose substantial costs on the administration.

Fire Point has devised a workaround to mitigate U.S. restrictions on Starshield usage, but the CEO said it delivers only 15‑20 % of the system’s full capability, and she declined to disclose further details.

She added that they are extracting as much benefit as possible from this workaround at present, but it cannot match Starshield in cost or scalability as a complete alternative.

The company is only authorized to install terminals, with ultimate control reserved for the Ukrainian government, and is prohibited from sharing the system with third parties.

Terekh highlighted that Starshield’s military advantage over civilian Starlink lies in its ability to engage moving targets, since the terminals are mobile.

Starlink terminals are built for static, stationary use, whereas Starshield—using the same hardware—is licensed for operation on drones, vehicles, or any moving platform within speed limits.

Fire Point asserts, based on video material supplied to Breaking Defense, that it has carried out a series of successful deep strikes within the Russian Federation over recent months.

These included deep strikes on October 24 targeting a rubber plant and a logistics hub in Omsk and a rubber plant in Togliatti; long‑range attacks on October 18 hitting oil depots, a data center, and a railway bridge in St. Petersburg; and a deep strike on a Sberbank data center in Balakovo on October 14.

With Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions enduring repeated heavy Russian ballistic attacks and facing air‑defence gaps due to delayed delivery of U.S. Patriot systems, Ukraine is accelerating the deployment of Fire Point’s Freya anti‑ballistic system, a joint effort with Sweden’s Saab. Terekh noted that testing has begun this year, with full interception capability expected in the following year.

Terekh likened Freya to the Patriot, stressing that it avoids vendor lock‑in, is highly interoperable, modular like Lego, and will be significantly cheaper for mass production.

Fire Point reported that its FP‑7 tactical ballistic missile, with a 250 km range, has completed combat testing, achieving its first battlefield launch, gathering valuable data, and undergoing updates. Terekh said this phase constitutes the final stage of testing, after which a contract for mass production will be signed.

She anticipates that the longer‑range FP‑9 ballistic missile, with a range of up to 850 km, will undergo its first combat test by year‑end.

Source link