The Japanese military is testing Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service with the intention of implementing the system the following fiscal year.
Yomiuri newspaper on Sunday citing anonymous government sources.
Yomiuri reported that while the Ministry of Defence already has access to communication satellites in geostationary orbit, using Starlink technology will add a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit.
Worldwide efforts are being made to increase resilience against the possibility of communications jamming or satellite assaults in the event of conflict.
The device has been used in training and testing by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces since March, according to the publication.
Outside of work hours, it was impossible to immediately reach a spokeswoman for the defence ministry for comment on the report.
Russia is aiming to prevent the deployment of Starlink technology in the area as it is being used by Ukraine on the battlefield. In October, Musk stated that SpaceX will not be able to continue to subsidise the usage of Starlink in Ukraine.