For the Starshield Network, SpaceX will launch an unknown number of satellites into orbit. Satellites can communicate with each other via laser beams. Unlike radio signals, communication via laser beams cannot be eavesdropped unnoticed.
The space company wants to develop and build everything on its own. Not only satellites, but also, for example, telephones that can be used to communicate over the network. This should ensure that the network connection cannot be clicked.
The Starshield network will not consist solely of communications satellites. There will also be satellites with sensors, measuring instruments, or monitoring equipment. So the network can also be used for espionage, for example.
SpaceX already has a commercial satellite network under the name Starlink. There are more than 3,500 satellites already floating around the Earth. The network was originally designed to provide Internet in remote places.
The war in Ukraine has shown that a satellite network can be very useful in war situations. In war-affected areas, local residents no longer have access to mobile networks or the Internet. Starlink still operates in those regions.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine, with the help of the Americans, also use the Starlink network. The military can communicate securely over the network. The experience of the Ukrainian army did not go unnoticed in the United States. It would have sparked interest in building the Starshield Network.