Reuters: Starlink outage exposed Pentagon’s growing reliance on SpaceX

A global Starlink outage in August 2025 disrupted a U.S. Navy test off the California coast, leaving about two dozen unmanned surface vessels without communications and halting operations for nearly an hour, according to internal Navy documents reviewed by Reuters.

Reuters said the episode was one of several test disruptions linked to Starlink and highlighted the risks of the Pentagon’s growing reliance on SpaceX for critical military programs.

Despite the vulnerabilities, Starlink remains central to military communications because of its constellation of nearly 10,000 low-Earth-orbit satellites, broad coverage and relatively low cost, Reuters reported.

The Pentagon, the U.S. Navy and SpaceX did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on the test or Starlink’s role in the programme.