Starlink outage pushes Europe toward tech independence from US

The Starlink service disruption for Ukraine has intensified European concerns about technological dependence on the US, according to Bloomberg, strengthening arguments for greater European self-sufficiency in space technology. The outage affected Ukrainian drone operations, including strike missions and air defense interceptions, highlighting Europe's reliance on American satellite internet and space-based missile warning systems. The EU is developing its own secure satellite network, IRIS², which began limited services in January 2026, though full deployment is not expected until 2029. Alternative networks like OneWeb, operated by European satellite company Eutelsat, currently lack Starlink's capabilities and require different terminals, making a quick switch impractical. European Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius acknowledged the significant dependence, with European nations likely to continue relying on US systems while building their own alternatives.