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Pentagon Approves $30K LUCAS Drone Cost, Eyes 3,500 Starshield Subscriptions

5/26/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Pentagon accepted SpaceX’s higher fee, setting the LUCAS drone cost at about $30,000.
SpaceX officials said the $5,000 Starlink fee for LUCAS drones was far below the $25,000 rate.
Elon Musk posted on X that using Starlink terminals for weapon systems breaches the service terms and that Starshield, a government-operated network, exists.
Pentagon documents show the military is considering buying more than 3,500 Starshield subscriptions, including 100 aviation-tier units.

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Story summary

The Pentagon accepted SpaceX’s higher fee, setting the LUCAS drone cost at about $30,000.
SpaceX officials said the $5,000 Starlink fee for LUCAS drones was far below the $25,000 rate.
Elon Musk posted on X that using Starlink terminals for weapon systems breaches the service terms and that Starshield, a government-operated network, exists.
Pentagon documents show the military is considering buying more than 3,500 Starshield subscriptions, including 100 aviation-tier units.