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the u.s. navy will soon begin full use of spacex's starlink satellites to provide high-speed internet to all its bases and ships. satellite internet connectivity is expected to facilitate the navy's operations.

currently, the u.s. navy uses satellites from the u.s. department of defense for connectivity. however, the connection speeds provided by the six geostationary satellites used for internet access are slow. to achieve faster speeds, the u.s. navy recently began using starlink and the uk's eutelsat oneweb.

low earth orbit satellites can improve the navy's connectivity capabilities, and ships equipped with these service providers are expected to have internet speeds of about 1gbps. according to the u.s. department of defense's dvids news agency, this new capability is called "sailor edge afloat and ashore," or sea2, and it uses low-orbit satellites to provide high-speed internet capabilities to ships and shore stations.

the uss abraham lincoln (cvn 72) has been using satellite internet systems for some time, equipped with starlink and oneweb equipment. this high-speed connection can be used for both tactical purposes and

for non-military purposes, including broadcasting football games.

sea2 operates 20 times faster than any other satellite ever before. notably, sea2 has obtained cybersecurity certification, which has never been done before. dvids said that previous internet solutions did not have full operational authority and many projects could not operate.

“this is a once-in-a-generation transformation for the warfighter, and we are working to deliver it to the fleet as quickly and aggressively as possible,” said rob wolborsky, chief engineer at the u.s. information warfare systems command. “as we deliver it, we are also focusing on how to get the most value out of this capability. this will be a leap forward in the quality of service at sea, whether living or working. once we get this capability into the hands of the warfighter, the warfighting capability will reach into the air and even outer space.”

during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, the u.s. navy realized the need for improved connectivity. due to restrictions imposed by countries around the world, ships were unable to dock, which cut them off from the rest of the world. the u.s. navy is likely to gain access to starlink through spacex's starshield program, which aims to provide satellite internet connectivity to government agencies. last year, spacex reportedly signed a starshield contract with the u.s. department of defense to provide communications services to the u.s. armed forces.