Chinese Researchers Sketch a 2,000-Drone Plan to Knock Starlink Offline
China may have just found a way to take aim at Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite constellation: a massive swarm of special signal-jamming drones. Researchers at Zhejiang University and the Beijing Institute of Technology modelled how roughly 1,000 to 2,000 coordinated jammers could overwhelm the satellite network.
Each drone would broadcast noise at varying power levels, saturating the system and cutting ground terminals off from connectivity. For full coverage over Taiwan, the study estimates at least 935 synchronised jammers would be needed in the air.
Lessons from Ukraine
The strategy draws heavily from lessons in Ukraine, where Starlink kept communications alive despite Russian attempts to cut fibre networks and jam signals.
Ukrainian forces restored command links within days, as SpaceX rolled out rapid software updates to counter interference.
Starlink’s thousands of fast-moving satellites, constantly shifting orbital planes and handing off connections in real time, reportedly make the network tough to disrupt. Ground terminals also hop between satellites within seconds, keeping users online even under attack.
“This spatiotemporal uncertainty poses a significant challenge for any third party attempting to monitor or counter the Starlink constellation.”
Top Photo: Starlink satellites in Low Earth Orbit are linked by laser communication, illustrating the interconnected nature of SpaceX’s global satellite internet constellation - Starlink
Source: NextGenDefense
