Reuters: SpaceX Raises Starlink Prices in US-Iran War, Pentagon Forced to Pay

According to reports from New York, SpaceX's Starlink satellite service, led by Elon Musk, has been used to guide suicide drones in the US-Iran war, achieving significant results. Consequently, SpaceX executives concluded that the Pentagon should pay more for the satellite Wi-Fi network. According to two sources and Pentagon documents reviewed by Reuters, within weeks of the US launching airstrikes against Iran, SpaceX executives met with Pentagon officials, arguing that the $5,000 per terminal connection fee paid by the military was actually for a high-end service worth nearly $25,000. Five sources stated that the two sides disagreed over the use of Starlink on the LUCAS suicide drone. Unlike consumer terminals sold at stores like Walmart, SpaceX sells a military version called 'Starshield' to the Pentagon under a 2023 agreement. SpaceX argued that the operational conditions of the LUCAS drone better fit their aviation subscription service rather than the lower-priced land or mobile service. Pentagon officials countered that the $25,000 monthly fee was designed for aircraft, not drones that only use the connection for minutes or hours. Ultimately, the Pentagon, intensifying its airstrikes against Iran, agreed to the price hike, nearly doubling the cost per drone. SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment, and the Pentagon declined to comment on the price increase or its payment decisions.