The contract is for equipment and services to support military airlift units at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. It includes satellite terminals and Internet services for mobile users who need to operationally provide services at fixed sites and connect their devices to the Internet.

Air Force Special Operations Command’s contract office said it was a single-source contract because it showed SpaceX was the only bidder that could provide the required services and could operate in a hostile electronic environment.

The general requirement was a commercial satellite Internet solution using Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites with existing services in Europe and Africa to support the Air Force’s 86th Airlift Wing.

After extensive research, SpaceX Starlink was found to be the only provider capable of providing this dedicated communications service at the required time in their current operating regions. Starlink is currently the only communications company providing commercial satellite solution for Europe and Africa.
– It is stated in the contract reasoning document published on August 5th.

Starlink satellite constellation

After the latest launch of the Starlink satellites on August 12, SpaceX currently has the largest constellation of satellites in orbit at 2,287.

None of the current LEO ISPs – Amazon Kuiper, OneWeb, Telesat – can offer similar services in both Europe and Africa. Starlink is also the only LEO satellite network provider currently in use in Ukraine, which has proven its effectiveness under extreme conditions.

We will remind you that in connection with Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, communication needs are increasing day by day to support the functioning of critical infrastructure. Thanks to Starlink equipment, Ukrainian operators quickly restore damaged communications and provide communications for civilians and the military in the most dangerous places of the country.