With Elon Musk’s Starlink, Japan ‘could buy more time’ in conflict over Taiwan

The Japanese Self-Defence Forces have been testing the system, which is now an essential tool for the Ukrainian military

But billionaire Elon Musk might not be keen on in it being used for combat with the People’s Liberation Army, analyst says

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Starlink has been a critical communications system for the Ukrainian military. Photo: SpaceX

Published: 8:30pm, 30 Jun 2023Updated: 9:01pm, 30 Jun 2023

The Japanese military’s decision to add Starlink to its communications toolbox will boost its defences and buy more time for Taipei and Washington in a conflict over the island, analysts said.

In a report on Tuesday, The Japan Times quoted Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada as confirming that Japan’s Self-Defence Forces had been testing the satellite internet service since March.

“In recent years, threats to the unfettered use of space have been increasing, and it is important to improve the resilience of satellite communications by using multiple communications satellite networks,” Hamada was quoted as saying.

It followed a report in the Yomiuri Shimbun that Tokyo planned to adopt the Starlink technology in the next financial year.

Since its adoption by the Ukrainian military last year, Starlink, an advanced broadband satellite internet system operated by US billionaire Elon Musk, has gained a reputation for robustness and resistance to jamming.

The Ukrainian military is now highly dependent on the system for drone flights and artillery strikes on Russian forces.

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