Dutch Defense Ministry still working with Elon Musk; Experts concerned

The Dutch armed forces continue to use Starlink, the satellite communications network of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, the Ministry of Defense told BNR. Experts raised concerns that working with Musk and his company will put the Netherlands’ defense in a vulnerable position.

Questions arose last week about Starlink’s reliability when Reuters reported that negotiators from the Trump administration threatened to cut off Ukraine from satellite internet if it didn’t give America a good deal to access its minerals. Musk denied these allegations, but it is not the first time that the billionaire has used Starlink to exert political pressure. It was not even the first time Ukraine bore the burnt of it. In 2014, for example, Musk denied Ukraine access to his network over Crimea when it was trying to retake the peninsula from the Russian occupiers.

Despite this, the Dutch Ministry of Defense sees no reason to cut ties with SpaceX, which it considers a regular supplier like “other commercial properties,” a spokesperson told BNR. “There is currently no reason to stop using SpaceX products,” the spokesperson said. “We have several comparable options and are therefore not dependent on one provider.”

However, experts are concerned. “If you choose a side now, you have to abandon America,” tech expert Bert Hubert, who is also a former supervisor of the intelligence services, told the broadcaster. “Every dependency is a huge danger.” He’d advise the armed forces to use alternatives to Starlink and SpaceX.

The Ministry uses “dozens” of Starlink terminals and always has “multiple alternatives” available if Starlink is unavailable for whatever reason, the spokesperson told BNR. “There can always be a seamless switch,” the spokesperson said. “So there is no question of dependency on Starlink.”