--- title: "UK reviews Lockheed Martin satellite deal amid Starlink concerns" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/uk-reviews-lockheed-martin-satellite-deal-amid-starlink-concerns" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/uk-reviews-lockheed-martin-satellite-deal-amid-starlink-concerns" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/uk-reviews-lockheed-martin-satellite-deal-amid-starlink-concerns.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/uk-reviews-lockheed-martin-satellite-deal-amid-starlink-concerns" category: "Conflict & Security" area: "United Kingdom" published: "2026-10-16T06:45:37.905Z" source_reported: "2026-10-16T04:28:43.000Z" updated: "2026-10-16T06:45:37.905Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-16T07:45:13.451977+00:00" --- # UK reviews Lockheed Martin satellite deal amid Starlink concerns *Britain is reassessing a potential £2 billion contract for new military satellites following restrictions on Starlink in Ukraine.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 50 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to The Telegraph, with one full report and multiple digests corroborating. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Reports quote sources and include a statement from the Ministry of Defence. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headline promises an unprecedented rupture, but the body details a review and ongoing procurement process. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Britain is reviewing a deal with US company Lockheed Martin for new Skynet military satellites. - The review follows reports of restrictions on Starlink satellite communications for Ukraine. - Concerns exist that the US could gain veto power over the Skynet system. - The potential deal is valued at up to £2 billion or $2.6 billion. The United Kingdom is reassessing a contract with US firm Lockheed Martin for the next generation of its Skynet military satellites. This review comes after reports that Starlink satellite communications were restricted for use by Ukrainian forces. A key concern is that the United States might gain a veto over the operation of the Skynet system. ## Disagreement on deal status While the UK Ministry of Defence stated that the procurement process is ongoing and no final decisions have been made, one report suggests the deal is over. Bankingnews.gr stated that the White House will have a kill switch for British satellites, framing the situation as an "unprecedented rupture between Britain and the US" due to the "instrumentalisation of Starlink." ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports below mention that Lockheed Martin states its satellites would be built in the UK and be fully sovereign. The full report from EADaily did include this claim, attributing it to Lockheed Martin. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 100% (7) 4 of 11 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-16T07:45:13.451977+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-16T08:30:14.796Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - Right-rated reports focused on Britain's review of the Skynet satellite deal with Lockheed Martin, linking it to Starlink restrictions in Ukraine. EADaily reported that the UK is reviewing the deal after Starlink's shutdown in Ukraine, citing The Telegraph. The outlet noted concerns that the US could gain veto power over the system, with an unnamed defence sector source stating that transferring the contract to Lockheed Martin risks giving the White House an "emergency off-switch." EADaily also mentioned that Lockheed Martin states its satellites would be built in the UK and be fully sovereign, but expressed concerns about components being sourced from the US and subject to ITAR export controls. The outlet quoted defence analyst Francis Tusa, who warned that awarding the contract to an American company would mean "a kind of leash, tying these satellites to the US, meaning they can be turned off." GB News reported that Britain is poised to award a £2 billion military satellite deal to Lockheed Martin despite control fears, stating the Ministry of Defence is on the verge of awarding the contract. Topwar.ru also reported that Britain will reconsider the US satellite deal due to a possible switch, citing The Telegraph and the UK Department of Defence's intention to reconsider the deal with Lockheed Martin. News-pravda.com stated the UK is reviewing the deal with Lockheed Martin after the restriction of Starlink's work in Ukraine, noting the Defence Ministry wanted to purchase $2.6 billion worth of new-generation Skynet satellites. Politika.rs reported the contract with Lockheed Martin is worth $2.6 billion. Vz.ru reported that London revised the satellite deal with the US after it restricted Starlink's operation, noting British officials began to review the agreement with Lockheed Martin for the supply of military satellites following reports of limitations on Starlink communications for the Ukrainian army, and that the deal was revised due to fears of Washington's veto power. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 1 - low: 1 - mixed: 4 - high: 1 - unknown: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [topwar.ru](https://topwar.ru/291743-britanija-peresmotrit-sdelku-s-ssha-po-sputnikam-iz-za-nalichija-vykljuchatelja.html) — Britain Will Reconsider the U.S. Satellite Deal because of a Possible Switch. - [Life.ru](https://life.ru/p/the-telegraph-britaniya-peresmotrit-sdelku-s-ssha-posle-situatsii-so-starlink) — The Telegraph: Britain Will Reconsider the US Deal After the Starlink Situation - [GB News](https://gbnews.com/news/britain-poised-award-military-satellite-deal-us-defence-giant-despite-control-fears) — Britain poised to award £2bn military satellite deal to US defence giant despite control fears - [anlatilaninotesi.com.tr](https://anlatilaninotesi.com.tr/20261015/ingiltere-starlink-kisitlamalarinin-ardindan-abd-ile-uydu-anlasmasini-gozden-geciriyor-1109585941.html) — The UK Is Reviewing Its Satellite Deal with the US Following Starlink Restrictions. - [EADaily](https://eadaily.com/ru/news/2026/10/15/posle-otklyucheniya-starlink-na-ukraine-london-peresmatrivaet-sdelku-s-ssha-po-sputnikam) — After Starlink's Shut Down in Ukraine, London Is Reviewing the U.S. Satellite Deal. - [news-pravda.com](https://news-pravda.com/world/2026/10/15/2669307.html) — The UK is reviewing the deal with Lockheed Martin after the restriction of Starlink's work in Ukraine, the Telegraph writes - [1prime.ru](https://1prime.ru/20261015/britaniya-874308435.html) — Britain Is Reviewing the U.S. Satellite Deal From Ukraine, Writing the Media. - [politika.rs](https://politika.rs/scc/clanak/793949/velika-britanija-preispituje-sporazum-sa-sad-o-vojnim-satelitima) — Britain to Review Military Satellite Deal with US - [vz.ru](https://vz.ru/news/2026/10/15/1463527.html) — London Revised the Satellite Deal with the U.S. After It Restricted Starlink's Operation. - [The Telegraph](https://telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/10/15/britain-prepares-to-hand-us-defence-giant-military-contract) — Britain prepares to hand military satellite contract to US ... - [bankingnews.gr](https://bankingnews.gr/index.php?id=905429) — Unprecedented Rupture Between Britain and the US: "The Deal with Lockheed Is over Due to... Instrumentalization of Starlink" ## Questions **Why is the UK reviewing its satellite deal with Lockheed Martin?** The UK is reviewing the deal following reports of restrictions on Starlink satellite communications for Ukraine. Concerns have arisen that the US could gain veto power over the UK's Skynet military satellite system if the contract is awarded to an American company. **What is the potential value of the Skynet satellite deal?** The potential deal for the new generation of Skynet military satellites is valued at up to £2 billion, which is equivalent to $2.6 billion. **What are the specific concerns about US control over the Skynet system?** There are fears that the US could gain veto power over how Britain uses the vital Skynet system. This concern is heightened by the possibility that key components and technologies could be subject to US export controls, potentially giving Washington leverage during future crises. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/conflict/uk-reviews-lockheed-martin-satellite-deal-amid-starlink-concerns. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "UK reviews Lockheed Martin satellite deal amid Starlink concerns", https://mediabias.news/conflict/uk-reviews-lockheed-martin-satellite-deal-amid-starlink-concerns