WASHINGTON, DC – Following public reports about the use of the Starlink system in Ukraine, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today issued the following statement:

“Serious national security liability issues have been exposed and the committee is engaged on this issue.  Neither Elon Musk, nor any private citizen, can have the last word when it comes to U.S. national security.  We’ve got to look at the broader satellite markets and the role of government outsourcing, the outsized role Mr. Musk and his company have taken on here, and the Pentagon’s actions and contractual arrangements.  The committee is aggressively probing this issue from every angle and will continue to engage with the Department to ensure U.S. national security interests are protected.”