A Quick-Response Initiative Brings a Year of MITRE Support to Ukraine

A year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, MITRE efforts to develop and deliver needed technology and relief endure, and grow, helping the people on the ground who need it most .

When Russian forces invaded Ukraine, SpaceX sent Starlink satellite internet kits to counter Russian attacks disrupting the country’s internet service. But Starlink technology needs a reliable power source and secure connection to the satellite constellation that processes communications signals. The designers didn’t intend it to be portable or to function in a war zone. Humanitarian and aid-group relief workers in Ukraine needed a system with added resilience.

Enter MITRE. Engineer Joseph Roth and team designed the Starlink Advantage kit to provide energy-independent, reliable access that incorporates cybersecurity, as well as protection from physical targeting. A tote can hold all the components: a terminal providing 100+ mbps internet speed, a VPN-secured Wi-Fi router, a battery-powered/solar panel generator, a laptop, a car adapter, and technology to protect the network from missile strikes.