Space Force’s Secret 480-Satellite MILNET: Inside SpaceX’s New Military “Starlink” Revolution
The U.S. Space Force announced in June 2025 it will fund MILNET, a secret LEO satcom constellation of about 480 satellites built and launched by SpaceX using the Starshield platform. Space Force Delta 8 will oversee operations, with the NRO managing the program. MILNET aims for near-global coverage and will interoperate with Starlink and allied satellites. The project follows a $1.8 billion NRO contract and over 150 Starshield launches by early 2025.