SpaceX founder Elon Musk's refusal to allow Ukraine to use Starlink internet services to launch a surprise attack on Russian forces in Crimea last September has raised questions as to whether the U.S. military needs to be more explicit in future contracts that services or products it purchases could be used in war, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said Monday.
Excerpts of a new biography of Musk published by The Washington Post last week revealed that the Ukrainians in September 2022 had asked for the Starlink support to attack Russian naval vessels based at the Crimean port of Sevastopol. Musk had refused due to concerns that Russia would launch a nuclear attack in response. Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and claims it as its territory.
Musk was not on a military contract when he refused the Crimea request; he'd been providing terminals to Ukraine for free in response to Russia's February 2022 invasion. However, in the months since, the U.S. military has funded and officially contracted with Starlink for continued support. The Pentagon has not disclosed the terms or cost of that contract, citing operational security.
But the Pentagon is reliant on SpaceX for far more than the Ukraine response, and the uncertainty that Musk or any other commercial vendor could refuse to provide services in a future conflict has led space systems military planners to reconsider what needs to be explicitly laid out in future agreements, Kendall said during a roundtable with reporters at the Air Force Association convention at National Harbor, Maryland, on Monday.
"If we're going to rely upon commercial architectures or commercial systems for operational use, then we have to have some assurances that they're going to be available," Kendall said. "We have to have that. Otherwise they are a convenience and maybe an economy in peacetime, but they're not something we can rely upon in wartime."
SpaceX also has the contract to help the Air Force's Air Mobility Command develop a rocket ship that would quickly move military cargo into a conflict zone or disaster zone, which could alleviate the military's reliance on slower aircraft or ships. While not specifying SpaceX, Gen. Mike Minihan, head of Air Mobility Command, said, "American industry has to be clear-eyed on the full spectrum of what it could be used for."
As U.S. military investment in space has increased in recent years, concerns have revolved around how to indemnify commercial vendors from liability in case something goes wrong in a launch and whether the U.S. military has an obligation to defend those firms' assets, such as their satellites or ground stations, if they are providing military support in a conflict.
Until Musk's refusal in Ukraine, there had not been a focus on whether there needed to be language saying a firm providing military support in war had to agree that that support could be used in combat.
"We acquire technology, we acquire services, required platforms to serve the Air Force mission, or in this case, the Department of the Air Force," said Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics. "So that is an expectation, that it is going to be used for Air Force purposes, which will include, when necessary, to be used to support combat operations."
Members of Parliament debated the second Conservative motion of non-confidence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government of the week on Thursday, amid simmering tensions.
Helene strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane hours ahead of its expected landfall on Florida's northwest coast Thursday night, and forecasters warned that the enormous storm could create a 'nightmare' surge in coastal areas and bring dangerous winds and rain across much of the southeastern U.S.
Mounties in Nunavut have made an arrest in the murder of a 15-year-old girl almost 40 years ago.
Scammers are increasingly using emails to extort money from victims by threatening to reveal compromising photos, videos and personal information to their friends and family members, according to a new warning from Mounties in Metro Vancouver.
An Air Canada flight headed to Toronto from Frankfurt diverted to Edinburgh due to an emergency Thursday, the airline says.
Canadian singer K’naan has been charged with sexual assault after being arrested by police in Quebec City.
An NDP MP has introduced a bill that would criminalize residential school denialism, saying it would help stop harm caused toward survivors, their families and communities.
A partial masking mandate has returned to Nova Scotia hospitals and provincially run healthcare facilities for visitors and healthcare workers.
A Canadian pharmaceutical company is warning consumers not to use some of its eye drops because of potential microbial growth that may result in eye infections.
Mounties in Nunavut have made an arrest in the murder of a 15-year-old girl almost 40 years ago.
A psychiatric report has found a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting six women east of Calgary is fit to stand trial but his lawyer wants the court to order another hearing before the long-delayed matter resumes.
Vancouver police blocked traffic and the SkyTrain's Millennium Line suspended service to VCC-Clark Station due to an "unstable crane" in the area Thursday.
Scammers are increasingly using emails to extort money from victims by threatening to reveal compromising photos, videos and personal information to their friends and family members, according to a new warning from Mounties in Metro Vancouver.
A lawyer defending a 14-year-old accused of setting a classmate on fire says 'voices told her to do things' prior to a fiery attack which severely injured a classmate and a teacher at Evan Hardy Collegiate earlier this month.
The driver of a semi was injured and 22 cattle died following a rollover on Highway 39 near Midale, Sask. on Sept. 21.
He's sold Bibles, sneakers, photo books and cryptocurrency during his third campaign for U.S. president. Now, Donald Trump is launching a new business venture: diamond-encrusted watches.
A Montana man has been arrested after witnesses said he intentionally and repeatedly swerved his car at three motorcycles in south-central Montana, running one off the road and killing its driver, officials in Carbon County said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday vowed to carry out 'full force' strikes against Hezbollah until it ceases firing rockets across the border, dimming hopes for a ceasefire proposal put forth by U.S. and European officials.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams was charged by the U.S. Department of Justice in a five-count criminal indictment unsealed on Thursday, becoming the city's first sitting mayor to face criminal charges. Here are some accusations in the indictment, which have not been proven in court.
Changes in Russia's nuclear doctrine that were announced by President Vladimir Putin are intended to discourage Ukraine's Western allies from supporting attacks on Russia, the Kremlin said Thursday.
In her first interview in more than two years, former U.S. first lady Melania Trump said she saw her husband's survival in two attempts on his life as 'miracles' and offered new details about the former president, including his desire to have more children.
Members of Parliament debated the second Conservative motion of non-confidence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government of the week on Thursday, amid simmering tensions.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have signed a statement aimed at collaborating more on issues ranging from Ukraine to foreign interference.
New changes to Canada's temporary foreign worker program are now in effect. Here's what to know.
A partial masking mandate has returned to Nova Scotia hospitals and provincially run healthcare facilities for visitors and healthcare workers.
Despite making up more than 4.5 per cent of Canada’s population, less than one per cent of the country's physicians identify as Indigenous, according to the Canadian Medical Association.
A Canadian pharmaceutical company is warning consumers not to use some of its eye drops because of potential microbial growth that may result in eye infections.
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen feels 'extremely hopeful' about society's ability to push social media platforms into being safer but for change to come, she says these companies need to be motivated in a new way.
OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati — who has been instrumental in the development of ChatGPT and the artificial intelligence image generator Dall-E — said Wednesday she is leaving the company.
A Canadian school photography company says it was hit by a ransomware attack that held about 3,500 photos of students in several Saskatchewan school divisions hostage, among others across the country.
Canadian singer K’naan has been charged with sexual assault after being arrested by police in Quebec City.
British supermodel Naomi Campbell has been barred from being a charity trustee in England and Wales for five years after the poverty charity she founded nearly two decades ago was deemed Thursday to have been 'poorly governed' with 'inadequate financial management.'
Hoda Kotb, a fixture at NBC for more than two decades, says she will leave her morning perch on the 'Today' show early next year, telling staffers 'it's time.'
A settlement was reached Thursday in a defamation lawsuit brought by electronic voting machine manufacturer Smartmatic against conservative news outlet Newsmax for airing accusations about vote manipulation in the 2020 election made by allies of former U.S. president Donald Trump.
Open AI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman (C) speaks at the Advancing Sustainable Development through Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI event on Sept. 23, 2024, in New York. (Bryan R. Smith/Pool Photo via AP)
Billionaire Elon Musk's social media site X has complied with Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes' orders and requested its service be re-established in the country, a source said Thursday.
A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.
Regina and John Zdravich left the U.S. for Italy after falling in love with the European country, then unexpectedly found themselves 'homeless.'
Home Depot was about to launch something big — really big — when the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020: a 12-foot skeleton.
Daniel Ricciardo, one of the most popular and likeable drivers on the Formula 1 grid, was released by Red Bull Racing on Thursday and will be replaced immediately by Liam Lawson.
A Florida man is seeking a temporary injunction to stop Shohei Ohtani's 50th home run ball from going to auction, saying it was stolen from him moments after he secured it.
The Chicago White Sox averted a record-breaking loss for the third straight day, beating the Los Angeles Angels 7-0 on Thursday behind Chris Flexen's sharp pitching performance.
Ontario's Premier Doug Ford wants to dig Canada's largest city out of its traffic woes.
A bizarre discovery was made on a dirt road in Clearview Township.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he wants to build a tunnel under Highway 401 that would stretch from Brampton to Scarborough.
A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.
Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.
Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.
A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.
An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.
An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.
Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.
Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.
This Monday marks Canada's 4th annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Here are some of the events honouring the occasion in Metro Vancouver.
A member of the Stl’atl’imx Tribal Police Service has been charged with voyeurism following an investigation into allegations he filmed sexual encounters without the consent of his partners, the B.C. RCMP announced Thursday.
A Royal Canadian Navy warship was rearmed with missiles and munitions in Australia this week, marking the first ever overseas rearmament for the service's Halifax-class frigates.
A new, temporary, stadium-sized seasonal concert venue is coming to Toronto's north end, with the capacity to host 50,000 people at one time. Rogers Stadium will open in June 2025 at the site of the former Downsview Airport Lands, Live Nation announced Thursday.
Standardized testing results released today show that fewer Ontario students in Grades 3 and 6 met the provincial standard in reading and writing than the previous year.
An Air Canada flight headed to Toronto from Frankfurt diverted to Edinburgh due to an emergency Thursday, the airline says.
A psychiatric report has found a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting six women east of Calgary is fit to stand trial but his lawyer wants the court to order another hearing before the long-delayed matter resumes.
A number of families whose children attended Little Scholars childcare centers in Calgary are frustrated they haven’t received a refund after the programs were unexpectedly shut down due to safety concerns in August.
The two men arrested after a deadly roadside shooting near Calgary last month will be tried together.
Ontario Provincial Police say a motorcycle driver is dead following a crash Thursday afternoon.
Former Ottawa resident Judy Brown is among many in Tallahassee, Florida bracing for Hurricane Helene as it barrels towards the state.
Police in Gatineau, Que. are investigating the third homicide of the year in the city. A 35-year-old man has been identified as the victim following an apparent assault.
Canadian singer K’naan has been charged with sexual assault after being arrested by police in Quebec City.
The Montreal fire department spent hours Monday battling a battery fire inside a container at the Port of Montreal.
Quebec provincial police have made an arrest in the case of a missing woman from southern Quebec.
A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.
Bradley Pierson, founder of Trouvay, helps Canadian police solve cold cases by matching crime scene DNA samples with volunteers’ DNA in databases. He sat down on CTV Morning Live to explain how genetic genealogy works, from finding birth parents to solving crimes.
Alberta municipal leaders are calling for the provincial government to reverse its plan to ban vote counting machines, saying it’s more costly and time consuming to count by hand.
A third person has been arrested and charged in connection with the homicide of Halifax teen Devon Sinclair Marsman, who disappeared more than two years ago.
The mayor of a Nova Scotia town says recent disruptions to the ferry service that links Nova Scotia with eastern Prince Edward Island are posing a real challenge for the town's tourism industry.
New Brunswick's Progressive Conservatives announced a financial literacy program Thursday, while Liberal Leader Susan Holt vowed to "transform mental health care," and Green Leader David Coon unveiled an affordable housing plan.
One non-profit organization is laying claim to the phrase 'Every Child Matters' in an attempt to control how it is used.
An NDP MP has introduced a bill that would criminalize residential school denialism, saying it would help stop harm caused toward survivors, their families and communities.
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Running back Ryquell Armstead, offensive lineman Trevon Tate, and defensive back Marcus Sayles may all play different positions for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but they have something in common this season.
The driver of a semi was injured and 22 cattle died following a rollover on Highway 39 near Midale, Sask. on Sept. 21.
As Saskatchewan awaits the election call, how are voters feeling about the leaders of Saskatchewan’s two major parties? Â鶹´«Ã½ sought to find out, in partnership with Insightrix Research.
Advocates are demanding an apology after a staff report regarding the destruction of corn crops in Wilmot Township was found to be lacking in detail.
A man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter after the 2022 death of a Cambridge resident.
Guelph police say an elderly woman has died after she was struck by a vehicle Thursday afternoon on Eramosa Road.
A lawyer defending a 14-year-old accused of setting a classmate on fire says 'voices told her to do things' prior to a fiery attack which severely injured a classmate and a teacher at Evan Hardy Collegiate earlier this month.
As Saskatchewan awaits the election call, how are voters feeling about the leaders of Saskatchewan’s two major parties? Â鶹´«Ã½ sought to find out, in partnership with Insightrix Research.
Running back Ryquell Armstead, offensive lineman Trevon Tate, and defensive back Marcus Sayles may all play different positions for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but they have something in common this season.
A northern Ontario man was in the bush hunting for partridge with his fiancé when he came across a big bull moose entangled in some hydro lines in his antlers.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's defence lawyer continued her cross-examination of the complainant in his sexual assault trial in a northeastern Ontario court today, where he has pleaded not guilty.
When Sudbury teacher Jillian Ospina began her career, she says very few students had cellphones -- and if they did, it was seen as a luxury.
Jonathan Halfyard lived with his mother Carolyn Carter, 69, in west London. But things took a deadly turn on April 20 of last year when she called police to have her youngest child removed from the house.
Some London renters say a new policy by their landlord to charge visitors for parking amounts to a corporate cash grab.
Officials in Grand Bend are trying to avoid car rally chaos, similar to what was seen in London on Saturday evening.
Members of the Southern Georgian Bay OPP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) are sounding the alarm on a rising number of online and phone scams targeting residents.
Residents living near Sunnidale Park in Barrie are calling for immediate action to address a growing coyote problem in their neighbourhood.
Two people were hospitalized following a collision in Angus Thursday morning.
As Windsor’s ward meetings roll on, residents on the east end say they’re tired of hearing about crime concerns downtown, pointing out they have problems too.
As respiratory illness season nears, local pharmacists are reminding people in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent to stay safe and prevent unnecessary visits to the hospital by staying up to date on vaccinations.
The Windsor Police Service (WPS) has arrested a “wanted fugitiveâ€, wanted on multiple warrants in Ontario.
A Royal Canadian Navy warship was rearmed with missiles and munitions in Australia this week, marking the first ever overseas rearmament for the service's Halifax-class frigates.
A member of the Stl’atl’imx Tribal Police Service has been charged with voyeurism following an investigation into allegations he filmed sexual encounters without the consent of his partners, the B.C. RCMP announced Thursday.
British Columbia NDP leader David Eby was upstaged by a wasp that flew down his shirt and stung him during a news conference.
A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.
A Blackfoot business owner is getting ready to pitch her board games to a panel for a chance to win $25,000.
Lethbridge police have laid charges against a man accused of sexually assaulting a teen girl at a party.
A Cardston, Alta., woman is $1 million richer after a Lotto Max draw in early August.
A northern Ontario man was in the bush hunting for partridge with his fiancé when he came across a big bull moose entangled in some hydro lines in his antlers.
A pedestrian is dead following a collision with a commercial motor vehicle on Highway 17 west of Thunder Bay on Thursday morning.
Every other day, Derek Moonias drives 15 minutes to the airport in Neskantaga First Nation and fills his pickup truck with cases of bottled water flown in on the dime of the federal government.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
Newfoundland and Labrador sponsored a minor football team in England, now they’re about to play one of the biggest clubs in European soccer.
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
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