AFSOC looks to add Starlink terminals to Ghostrider gunships
Air Force Special Operations Command is interested in equipping its AC-130J Ghostrider aircraft with SpaceX’s made-for-government Starlink/Starshield terminals.
According to a request for information posted to Sam.gov on Tuesday, AFSOC is conducting market research for “ruggedized Starlink/Starshield integration solutions onto AC-130J Ghostrider” — a gunship that primarily provides close air support and armed reconnaissance for ground-based forces. The terminals would improve beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) satellite communications to the aircraft to support the command’s missions, the RFI noted.
Starlink is a satellite constellation in low-Earth orbit (LEO) that provides commercial high-speed, low-latency internet via terrestrial user terminals, even in remote locations with little infrastructure.
Following the 2022 introduction of SpaceX’s encrypted version of the constellation dubbed Starshield — which is specifically designed for national security missions — organizations across the Pentagon have sought to integrate the low-cost, modular terminals into operations.
SpaceX is led by tech industry magnate Elon Musk.
The RFI indicates that AFSOC wants the satcom terminals to provide secure connectivity globally, while also maximizing data transfer speeds and minimizing network latency. The integration should also allow the Starlink/Starshield terminals to be taken off the Ghostrider, as well as be easily ported to other variants of the C-130 aircraft for operational missions and additional testing, the notice added.
The Ghostrider is a next-generation variant of the C-130J Hercules that is heavily armed with a precision strike package comprising advanced sensors, medium-caliber guns and precision-guided munitions to provide accurate airborne firepower. The package also includes specialized communications capabilities that utilize the military’s current satellites.
The gunship has been used by U.S. Special Operations Command to perform armed reconnaissance around the world, and most recently the aircraft has been spotted supporting the Defense Department’s operations targeting boats allegedly transporting drugs in the Caribbean.
AFSOC is requesting that interested vendors submit white papers that address the cost, schedule, constraints and risks for either a single demonstration to evaluate Starlink/Starshield on the AC-130J or a roll-on, roll-off capability on the aircraft. Responses are due Jan. 30.
