LONDON, April 15. /TASS/. Starlink disruptions during drone tests have exposed the Pentagon’s growing reliance on the SpaceX company, Reuters reports.

According to the news agency, a global outage across the Starlink satellite network affected millions of users, disrupted communications and halted operations for almost an hour during a US Navy test of unmanned vessels last August.

In April 2025, during a series of Navy tests involving unmanned boats and flying drones, "Starlink struggled to provide a solid network connection due to the high data usage needed to control multiple systems", Reuters notes, citing a Navy report.

"The Navy's mishaps with Starlink for its autonomous drone program, which have not been previously reported, highlight the challenges of the US military’s growing reliance on SpaceX and the risks it brings to the Pentagon," Reuters notes.

The media outlet adds, however, that "despite the setbacks, the upside of Starlink - a cheap and commercially available service - outweighs the risk of a potential outage disrupting future military operations." SpaceX has strengthened its role as a key Pentagon contractor in crucial programs, causing concern to lawmakers over an overreliance on one company, the news agency concludes.