Gen. John Murray, commander of Army Futures Command and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, said the U.S. Army’s upcoming test of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband will focus on assessing the reliability and potential vulnerabilities of the service, SpaceNews reported Wednesday.
“I would view this as exploratory,” Murray told reporters Wednesday during a Defense Writers Group conference call. “It’s about figuring out what capabilities they can provide, and what vulnerabilities do they have?”
SpaceX and the Army signed a three-year agreement to test the capability of Starlink broadband in transmitting data across military networks as the service branch seeks to supplement its terrestrial and satellite communications systems.
Murray added the agreement seeks to provide the military branch an opportunity to evaluate the service "before we lock ourselves into a multibillion dollar acquisition program."
