From Moscow, for Elon Musk, here’s some bad news served on platter by Vladimir Putin. According to reports, Moscow has developed a system being hailed as Starlink killer. The new system has the ability to detect and counter signals from Starlink satellites, the system is called Kalinka.
The weapon has been developed by Russia’s Center for Unmanned Systems and Technologies (CBST). It will also help the Russian forces track unmanned boats and the so-called “Baba Yaga” drones, among other things. Russia is now integrating this new tech in its jet skis, boats, and helicopters and fighter jets.
Even though the system is still under developmental stages, it has already entered small-scale production.
But the main question is: Why would Russia target Starlink? Elon Musk is a staunch Trump ally, so why would the Kremlin want to spoil its ties with the incoming US administration? The answer to this question lies in Ukraine.
Over the last three years, Starlink has played a key role in helping Ukraine’s military against Russia. The satellite system has allowed Ukraine troops to share live drone footage and stay connected, even when regular communication networks were damaged or unavailable.
Interestingly, Russian forces also started using Starlink terminals purchased on the black market. They used the technology on the battlefield to gain some tactical advantages in certain situations.
Last year, Ukraine began using Starlink for more than just communication. The system was adapted to guide drones, which wasn’t its original purpose.
This raised concerns about its use in warfare. In response, Elon Musk temporarily turned off Starlink in Ukraine, saying he didn’t want it used for direct military attacks. However, the US government later stepped in and made a deal with SpaceX to keep the service running in Ukraine. This showed just how important Starlink had become in the conflict.
Starlink’s influence isn’t limited to the Russia-Ukraine war. In China, experts have been closely studying its features. Some researchers have even suggested ways to disable the satellites if they pose a threat to national security.
One of the main worries for China is Starlink’s ability to resist jamming, a tactic used in electronic warfare. This feature creates challenges for Russia and has also raised concerns about Taiwan. China sees Taiwan as part of its territory and fears that Starlink could make a future invasion more difficult. If Taiwan has access to Starlink, it could help them resist Chinese military efforts.
You see, Starlink is a major threat to Russia as well as China. Moscow believes Musk breached its red line by allowing Ukraine to use the Starlink system for warfare against Russian forces. There are also concerns that Starlink is either US Department of Defense asset or heavily funded by the Pentagon for military use under the garb of commercial use.
As of now, Moscow will prefer to see Musk disabling Starlink support to Ukraine and avoid further escalating the matter. However, If Elon Musk fails to do so, Russia can very well put its Kalinka system to action and forcibly disable Starlink in Ukraine, making Kyiv forces go blind and walk into deathtrap laid by the Kremlin.