Sky Battle: Drone Warfare Against Starlink Satellites

As reported by SCMP, Chinese researchers have conducted a simulation of actions to block Starlink satellite internet signals over a large area. It appears this might be feasible. The key is to use an enormous number of drones and/or other aircraft. In today’s realities, drones become the simplest option.

Hundreds or thousands of small synchronized jammers need to be deployed throughout the sky-on drones, balloons, or airplanes-to create an electromagnetic shield over the battlefield.

In the test model, a combination of wide- and narrow-focus electronic jammers was used. Chinese airborne jammers positioned 5 to 10 km apart are now believed to be able to form an effective network to block internet access at altitudes up to 19 km.

Amidst rising global tensions and recent technological strides in electronic warfare, this development could have far-reaching implications not only for Starlink but for the realms of communication security worldwide.

In ideal conditions, the model predicts that successfully blocking Starlink over the required area would necessitate 935 coordinated jamming sources, meaning the same number of drones fitted with jammers. However, utilizing cheaper, more practical, and less powerful drones would require increasing the number of aerial devices to roughly 2,000.

The practicality of employing such a vast network of drones is not without challenges. Factors such as power supply, synchronization, and control logistics become crucial, especially in adverse weather conditions. Furthermore, the financial and material resources required for such a large-scale operation might be considerably higher than initially anticipated. Nevertheless, advancements in drone manufacture, coupled with falling costs, are making such strategies more plausible.